Running towards a Second Chance
by MrsM-7
Summary: Wally West comes back but he has not come alone. Is Wally West destined to die young? Part 4 in the How we came to be series- a series of stories about some milestones in the lives of Richard Grayson and Wally West that led to their imminent future as one.
1. The Principle of Mass Conservation

Someone is behind me. Actually, someone has been following me for the past three days. I've been trying to catch him or her without much success. I have even been trying to bait this person into coming closer by walking around the shadiest parts of town at the most inconvenient hours hoping I will tempt him enough to make a move. But the stranger doesn't. He or she stills watches me from afar, he stays close enough for me to notice his presence but far enough that I can't find him. It has been incredibly frustrating. I can feel him watching while I am at work, I could feel his eyes during my lunch with Tim yesterday and every day I can sense his presence while I walk around my apartment. However, nothing Batman thought me has helped me catch him or even see him. I have not told Bruce, Tim nor Barbara. It's not because I am ashamed of not being able to get him after three days (even though I am). It is because I am afraid of the possibility that maybe I haven't been able to catch him because there is no one to catch. At this point, the only options are that either I am losing my touch or I have finally become paranoid enough that I am creating imaginary enemies. I know my detective skills are as great as ever therefore, the question is: is this really all in my head?

I am thinking about this as I walk through Bludhaven's darkest alleys. With my hands deep in my pockets and my hood up, I blend in among beggars, criminals and prostitutes. Some of them try to stop me but my tamest bat glare is enough to send them away. Behind me, the stranger follows. Right now, he stalks me from somewhere behind me on my left. I turn around discreetly trying to catch sight of him. I don't even catch his shadow, I only see a plastic bag and a couple of newspaper pages floating around as the wind blows it away. I sight and continue my way towards my apartment ready to give up for the night. What did this guy want? He didn't seem interested in kidnapping me in order to get a ransom from Bruce and he obviously wasn't sent to kill me. Also he had very good training if he has been able to hide for this long. After three days of stalking, I am ready to admit that if this wasn't all in my head then maybe he wasn't looking for Richard Grayson, rather the persona I used to become, Nightwing. The paranoia and crazy theory comforted me more.

Had an old enemy learned my retired secret identity? Were Bruce, Tim, Alfred and Barbara in danger? The though scares me enough that I decide it is time to call for back up even with my sanity in the line. I continue walking towards my apartment, it is time to call Bruce. Obviously, nothing ever goes as plan. Especially if you are me.

I fasten my walk as I feel a new presence following behind me. This one is bigger, noisier and it obviously belongs to a very drunk man.

"Hey, pretty boy!" The voice calls. With a resigned sight I turn around to face a big, fat and heavily tattooed man. He comes closer, I don't back away.

"You shouldn't be wondering around this place at night, especially with that perky ass of yours." He grumbles in a tone that suggests worry. However, his leering eyes wondering all over my body, lingering in my namesake, suggests otherwise.

"Is that so?" I reply containing my disgust and sending him my best bat glare. He is too drunk and horny to notice. He takes a step closer, forcing me to back against the wall.

"I could walk you home or better yet you could come home with me." His attempt to be charming almost makes me laugh, instead I decide that this has been going on long enough. Just as I am about to ram my knee to his crutch, I feel it. My stalker is back. The pervert is now almost resting his forehead against mine but I pay it no mind. Because I have finally catched a glimpse of my stalker. I only see his shadow for a millisecond before it disappears but I see it and I also see that he is the closest he has been in three days. Why would he risk exposure? Why is he coming closer now? A new and very stupid theory comes to me. Is the stranger worried? Is he coming closer in order to protect me? My mind formulates a new plan in seconds and I retreat the leg I was going to ram into the pervert's crutch.

"What are you doing?" I stammer acting as scared as a normal civilian would be.

"Don't worry pretty boy, I will take care of you." The big guy says groping my ass. I resist the urge to punch him. 'Come on stalker, help me. Come closer. Let me look at you.' I think trying to block the smell of alcohol and smoke the man that is currently licking my neck has. I feign to resist and fake tears pour down my face. The man starts biting my neck and pushing his crutch against mine.

I gasp in shock, this is going too far. Obviously, the stalker is not some kind of guardian angel. Again, I am about to free myself when the stalker approaches once more. This time he doesn't hide or hesitates, he grabs the old guy and throws him towards the other wall effortlessly. While the stalker approaches the pervert to knock him out, I approach him. I flip him over my shoulder and he hits the ground with a groan. I straddle him from behind and shackle his hands with the shackles I have been carrying for the past three days. I turn around to face the fat guy but he has ran away. Deciding I will look for him during my next police shift, I face my stalker again.

With apprehension and a little excitement, I turn him around and pull his hood down. What I see scares me more than the possibility of being raped had. Because looking at me are a pair of the greenest eyes I have ever seen attached to a redhead I have missed so dearly. I was looking into the eyes of my best friend. I was looking into the eyes of a dead man. Lying beneath me with a sheepish smile on his face was Wally West.

I gape at him for what seems to me to be hours. Like an addict, I search every one of his features: His sheepish smile, his messy red curls, his numerous freckles, the laugh lines around his eyes and mouth and of course his brilliant green eyes. I was frozen, my mind plagued with memories in which we had found ourselves in this exact same position while training in the cave, battling for the TV remote or simply having a tickle fight. By now, the smile has left his face and has been replaced with an unsure and worried look.

"Are you ok? Did that bastard did anything to you?" He asked bringing me out of my stupor. Suddenly, I could think rationally again and realize that I was straddling a **dead** man. I had him in a headlock in seconds.

"Who are you?" I growled.

"I can't answer that if I am dead Dick." He gasped out; I loosened my grip enough to let him breath.

"Answer the question" I demand when he only stares at me and while resisting the urge to strengthen my hold around his neck once more.

"Well, I would think that was obvious. Nobody is as good looking at me." The sarcastic little shit dared to say. And it was such a Wally thing to say too that I almost believed him. I almost believed that he wasn't an impostor and somehow I was truly choking Wally West. However, I knew better.

I forcefully grabbed him by his shirt and pushed him against the wall I had been pushed against mere minutes ago. He seemed a little startled but not all surprise.

"Seriously Dick, you are going to bruise my back if you keep manhandling me." He joked once again making me angrier. Who did he think he was? How dare he impersonate Wally?

"If you don't give me a real answer in the next five seconds I swear to God I will…"

"You'll what? Set the Batman on me. I thought you preferred to fight your own battles Wing. Have you gone soft while I've been gone? I've notice you have not patrolled for the last three days." He was smirking. I was on the edge of killing him and he was giving me that stupid smirk that Wally used to give whenever I got in trouble with the Bat.

"Why have you been following me?" I asked then since it seemed obvious he was not going to reveal his true identity, at least not yet.

"I have been trying to approach you for days now, but I had to make sure nobody was following you first. Then you decided it would be a good idea to roam dark alleys. Obviously, you wanted me to approach you but I couldn't do that while we were among the scum of this city."

"Then why did you approach me now?"

"You are kidding me right? That dude was about to rape you and I can't believe you are crazy enough to put yourself through that just to get little old me to stop hiding." For the first time since he attacked the man in the alley, the impostor seemed pissed. His nose was flaring and his eyes were sparkling just the way Wally's did in our last fight. It made me feel self-conscious, sad and defensive.

"I wasn't going to let him rape me! I was just about to get him off me when you did it."

"You should not have let it come to that in the first place." He growled.

"What is it to you anyway? How do you know who I am? Why did you want to contact me?" I replied trying to remember that I wasn't talking to Wally but to a stranger that had taken his shape, mannerisms and voice. An impostor that has been following me and who obviously knows more about me than I care to admit.

"I will tell you everything you want to know, but we have to go to a safe place. We have been exposed enough as it is." He whispered suddenly looking paranoid. His gaze shifted around our surroundings. Probably searching for the people he said could be following me.

"Are you suggesting that I should follow you to a secret place in order for you to talk to me? How stupid do you think I am?"

"We could go to your place then." He suggests and I laugh at the ridiculous proposal. "Sure, let me take the man who has been stalking and is now impersonating a dead man to my apartment." I replied sarcastically.

"Aghhh, paranoid bats and birds. I am not impersonating ANYONE! I **am** Wally. I have been to your apartment millions of times. Besides, even if I wasn't Wally, I have been following you for the past three days Dick. I already know where you live."

"Fine, we'll go to my apartment but if you try anything I…"

"Yeah, yeah. You'll set the bat on me."

"The Bat? No, no, no. I'll set Agent A on you."

"Ah come on dude, you can't set Alfie on me. That's a violation of the bro code" I was once again shocked. I was sure he was going to fail this test. How the hell did he knew Alfred?

"So… did I passed the test? Can we go now?" Wally look alike asked nervously but with that stupid smirk on his face. With a resigned sight, I released him from my hold. He massaged his throat and then brought his shackled hands into my line of sight. His puppy dog look was almost enough for me to release him but Batman's voice in my ears won the battle.

"Your hands stay shackled." I reply; he pouts even more.

"Why?" He whines. "How am I supposed to carry you back to your place if my hands are bounded?"

"Why the hell would I let you carry me?" I asked him affronted and pushing him towards my building.

"So we can get there faster and without risking anybody seeing us, duh."

"Shut up, we are walking." He groaned and whined the entire walk but I ignored it. My mind was restless. He seemed to know a lot about me and my family. He looked, acted and talked like Wally. Also, while walking, I could see the way his feet blurred at times before he remembered to slow down in order for me to catch up. Meaning he was a speedster. So, why the hell hasn't he run away then? Was this a trap? Why did he want to come with me to my apartment? Who was he?

We arrived at my apartment in minutes, even though he complained about it taking hours. He let me open the door without giving my back to him and upon entering, sped over to my couch where he proceeded to make himself at home. It was such a Wally thing to do.

"Do you have any food? I am starving!" He asked once I made my way over to a seat in front of him.

"We are somewhere private, now talk." I replied ignoring his quip about food and earning a pout in response. We had a mini staring contest, which I won when he surrendered with an exasperated sight and instead questioned "Where do you want me to start?"

"Who are you, how do you know me and what do you want?" I asked once again earning an eye roll.

"Broken record much" At my answering glare, he continued. "My name is Wallace Rudolph West as I told you already. I was adopted by my Aunt Iris after she and my Uncle Barry discovered my parents were beating the crap out of me. I became Kid Flash, The Flash's partner and soon met other kid heroes: Speedy, Aqualad and of course Robin. Robin aka Dick Grayson aka you became my best friend. He is supposed to be a very good detective therefore I trust that he will get his head out of his ass and realize that I am me." I glared at him trying to hide my shock and doubts. Was it really possible? The Wally look alike took my glare as a sign to continue his story. "On June 20, 2016, Uncle B, Bart and I went to the Artic in an effort to stop the last of the Reach's bomb. However, my slower speed made me vulnerable and I disappeared."

"You didn't disappeared, you **died**." I interrupted with a growl not noticing that I had referred to him as if he was Wally.

"No Dick, I didn't. Tell me, what happened that day, how did Kid Flash died?" He asked me with a meaningful look as if the answer to his apparent survival was obvious. "Come on, humor me." He insisted when I only offered silence.

"Flash, Impulse and Kid Flash ran around the MFD at the Artic creating a vortex of kinetic energy that would in theory halt the "chrysalis" mode. However, Kid Flash's slower speed led to the energy taken off to strike him. This caused Kid Flash to become translucent and intangible with each hit until he disappeared." I reported in a monotone voice as if I was giving a report to Batman. However, in the inside I was breaking. Talking about Wally's death with a person who looked and acted so much like him was killing me.

"Exactly! I disappeared!" Wally look alike exclaimed excitedly, jumping of the couch and pointing at me with his still bound hands.

"Care to elaborate how this information helps your case."

"Come on Dick, you cannot tell me you have not thought about it before, you are a nerd, a mathlete for God's sake." He exclaimed exasperated. His body was trembling in excitement.

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Ughhh, Dick! What does the Law of Conservation of Mass states? Mass can neither be created nor destroyed, _**but**_ …"

"It may be rearranged in space" I finished for him. Hope fluttered in my stomach. Was it possible? Was it possible that the person standing in front of me was really Wally? Was it possible that the doofus currently fist bumping the air was my old best friend?

"Say that I believe you" I started earning a groan and a 'paranoid bats and birds' that I decided to ignore. "Where have you been? Why come here? Why did you chose to contact me first out of all people and why have you been following me for three days instead of knocking on my door the first day?" His mood took a 180 degree turn at my questions.

"Because I did not came alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that someone followed me here and that someone is looking for me."

"Who followed you Wally? Why is he looking for you?" I asked fearfully. Wally looked up at me and before he answered I knew why he is being followed. The look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. However, Wally still confirmed my fears with his next words.

"He calls himself Zoom and he wants me dead." The reality of the words hit me full force. It seemed that Wally West's life would be cut short after all.


	2. Trust Issues

I panic for a whole of ten seconds before I am able to get myself under control. I was once again in detective mode; one of the perks of being trained by The Batman. Hesitantly, I approach Wally and release his hands. He seems surprise but at the same time lighter, like a weight has been taken off his shoulders.

"Ok, tell me everything. Tell me everything that has happened since that day at the Artic." I order and he does.

"Have I ever told you about the speed force theory?" He starts and continues when I shake my head to indicate that he hadn't. "It is a theory believed by a few speedsters, in which essentially the extra-dimensional energy of a force, a Speed force, powers all of the speedster's well speed. I mean, in theory, we speedsters, over the course of our life, acquire the ability to access this Speed Force that gives us our powers. For example, Uncle B and I acquired it from the chemicals and Bart genetically. Uncle Barry and Jay never believed it to be real but they still told me the stories so when I was disappearing I knew where I was fading into. I became once with the speed force."

"What does that mean? What do you mean you became once with the speed force?" I ask confused.

"I mean that Wally West essentially ceased to exist, all there was of me was energy. I became a part of the speed force. I had no memories, rational thoughts or even a body. All I knew was the speed. However, I wasn't the only person that had merge into this nothingness."

"Zoom"

"Yeah, even though I didn't remember or knew ANYTHING except for speed and energy, somehow, I knew that I had to escape him. He ran after me for what seemed like years, centuries even and he was so fast Dick. He ran circles around me, as if he was running through time itself. As if, he was catching up on the years I had not spent inside the force but he had. As if he was running from a different era to the era where I had come from so he could get me. Finally, he caught up but when he tried to grab me, for the first time in a long time, I was me again. His touch made me tangible enough to stop running and therefore leave the speed force, but it also solidified him. We both stumbled at the Artic and before I could even think about what just happened, instincts took over and I ran. I ran as fast as I could, without any place in mind. Just hoping I would be fast enough to escape him." He ends his story in a whisper. His hands are shaking from the exertion but he looks me in the eye, so I can tell he is not lying.

"How do you know he is coming after you? How do you even know he is called Zoom?" I asked because Wally had never even talk to the guy before running away from him.

"We were both one with the speed force, Dick. Once we got out, I could feel his hatred, I still can. I is as if it became a part of me too. As if he's inside of me." He seemed so terrified that I take a seat beside him cautiously.

"You may have been with him in the speed force, but there is not an evil bone in your body Wally West." I say forcefully but he doesn't even look up at me.

"Technically, every gene in my body is evil. Just look at my parents." He says with an unamused laugh. I recoil at the surface of his old insecurities and the fear of becoming like his parents.

"Technically your Aunt has half of those genes. Are you implying that she is going to turn evil?" I reply knowing that the better way to get Wally out of his self-deprecating moods is using logic.

"Of course not!" He answers affronted. "But it's different"

"How is it different? Because she is only your father's half-sister so maybe she didn't get the "bad" genes." Wally didn't answer so I continued. "Then maybe you are implying that Kaldur, Artemis and Kon will turn evil since their parents are Black Manta, Huntress, Sportmaster and Lex Luthor."

"I am not saying that. I am just saying that they don't have the same fragile and weak psyche that I do." He whispers. I throw caution out the window a grab his hand making him look up at me.

"Wally, the bad things you have gone through have only make you stronger. You are not weak. If you were, you would have never been strong enough to become Kid Flash and a hero. You would have never become my best friend." The cloudiness in his eyes starts to dissipate and a small grin peaks out. So I continue with my interrogation. "So, a speedster named Zoom is trying to kill you and you have been running away from him. Why did you decided to come to me? Why not go to Central City?"

"I couldn't. I don't know what Zoom's knows about me. Does he know who I am, where I lived? Zoom may be following them and even if he doesn't know they are my family the first place to look for a speedster would be Central City. I can't risk putting Aunt I, Uncle B and Bart in danger."

"Ok, that makes sense. But I still don't get why would you come here?" I asked earning a confused look.

"Maybe because you are the person I trust the most after Uncle B." He answers making me drop his hand as if he had cough on fire. I immediately stand up and put some distance between us. My body is ready for a fight.

"Dick?" He asks confused and standing up with his hands up in the universal sign of surrendering. "What's wrong?

"I can't believe I almost fell for that. How can I be so stupid? Enough games, who are you? Tell who or what you are or I am going to kill you? Is this a Scarecrow's hallucination or am I trapped in a dream reality that will slowly kill me? What is this?!" I am frantic by this point. I feel like I have lost Wally all over again and the only person I know can be responsible is right in front of me so I spring forward and attack him. I don't even touch him, he has run to the other side of the room.

"Whoa, calm down. What the heck are you talking about? Of course I am me! Have you not listened to everything I have said for the past hour?" He exclaims blocking my kick and running once again to another part of the room.

"Yeas I have" I exclaim approaching him once more and this time successfully connecting a kick to his ribs earning a groan. "Including the part…" I trip him when he tries to run away. "…when you said you came here because you TRUSTED me." I have him pinned against the wall. His eyes are not mad nor scared, he seems simply confused.

"Well, I do. Why is that such a big deal?"

"Because the real Wally West HATED me!" I scream in his face. His eyes widen and confusion is quickly replace with understanding and was that pity? My eyes are watering, but I hold my tears back. There will be time to morn and hopefully drink enough alcohol to pass out later, now I have to find out who the hell I have pinned against my living room wall.

"Dick, I don't and have never hated you." He whispers. A sarcastic and desperate laugh rips out of my lungs making him flinch.

"The real Wally West couldn't be in the same room as me without being disgusted" I spat. "I destroyed him and his life. I condemned him to live a lie. He almost..." I gulped before forcing the words out of my mouth. "He almost killed himself because of me. So yeah, I don't believe you when you say you are that Wally and that you trust me. Especially since the only reason Wally disappeared in the first place was because of my stupid manipulations and mission. I am the reason Wally West is dead." I crumble at this last words not able to contain myself any longer. I release him and fall to my knees where I proceed to sob. Heart wrenching sobs that I have been containing for the last ten months escape me and I don't care. I don't care that I am showing vulnerability. My best friend is dead and he died hating me. He died because of me. Tentative arms wrap themselves around me and when I don't push them away they bring me closer. He rocks me back and forth in his strong grip murmuring the same words of comfort I had once whispered to a certain suicidal fifteen year old. "Everything will be fine" "I am sorry for leaving" "You are ok" "I love you" And like he had then, I fell asleep while he repeated the words of comforts again and again.

My cellphone's alarm wakes me up the next morninf. Shielding my eyes against the sun entering from the windows and wondering why I had fallen asleep on the living room floor, I pop my back and blindingly search for my cellphone to turn off the alarm. I am in the process of yawning and opening my eyes when a snore comes from my left. In seconds, I am awake and towering over the grumbling redhead ('Ow, that was my head you dick'). It had not been a dream, my stalker really was Wally West or at least someone who was impersonating him. I stare at him as he rubs his eyes and stands up.

"You are still here." I finally whisper.

"Duh. Can I use your bathroom?" He doesn't wait for an answer before speeding to my bathroom. I follow closely behind and wait for him just outside the door. He opens it a couple of seconds later with a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Aggh!" He screams when he notices I had followed him. "Don't do that." He says spitting the toothpaste. "What?" He adds when I continue to stare at him.

"Did you just use my toothbrush?" I asked incredulously, earning a sheepish smile. We both look back and forth between the toothbrush in his hand and each other.

"Sorry?" He apologizes rubbing the back of his head and suddenly we are both laughing hysterically. We collapse on the floor beside each other unable to contain our giggles. I feel like we are nine and eleven years old again and giggling about some stupid prank we had manage to pull over Speedy. But soon our laugher dies and reality sinks in.

"Listen Dick, I know that things between us were pretty messed up when I disappeared but you have to trust me when I tell you that I never hated you. I was hurt and mad but I always knew that you didn't really meant anything that you said that terrible night. You are and will always be my best friend and I love you, ok?" He puts his arms around my shoulders and I lean against him absorbing the warm, his scent, everything about him.

"How could you? You have lost so much because of me." My statement is muffled by his shirt but he still understands me.

"No Dick. I was wrong in blaming you for my decisions because at the end of the day it was me who chose to run away from you instead of confronting you. I should have stayed and talk to you. Instead, I decided to leave everything behind like a coward." He spat with hatred, hatred directed at himself.

"You are not a coward. I ran away too once didn't I? After my fight with Bruce, I ran away and then Jason died because of my stubbornness too."

"At the risk of you biting my head off again, I will repeat what I said that night. Jason's death is not your fault and neither was mine for that matter. Stop blaming yourself for everything, you are only human Dick."

"I know that you are right, doesn't make me feel better though."

"I know"

"So…what made you change your mind?" I ask interrupting the peaceful and comfortable silence.

"About what?"

"Well, me"

"Oh, it is really strange…" Wally hesitates while standing up and making his way towards the kitchen.

"Stranger than you disappearing into a speed tunnel and coming back with a speedster named Zoom in tow." I reply sarcastically while starting coffee.

"Point taken. Pass me the eggs." I give him the carton and also the ketchup, I know he can't eat eggs without it. He grins at the gesture. "Well, while I was becoming translucent, at the last millisecond I had like an out of body experience."

"Like your life flashed before your eyes kind of thing?" I ask while putting some bread in the toaster.

"More like a regrets flashed before my eyes. In that last moment between life and whatever I was becoming, our last moments together flashed before my eyes and I knew how stupid I had been. I knew that there was nothing to forgive because I knew you and that meant that I knew you were hurting at the time you said all those things and didn't meant them. And even though it hurt me, if it meant that I had helped you at least a little then I had do it all over again. Because that's what best friends, people who love each other, do. I tried to tell Uncle B to tell you, to tell you that I forgave you because I knew you would never forgive yourself if I didn't but I was too late." I stare at him, silent tears pouring down my eyes. The bread was burning but I didn't care, I walk up to him and hug him with all my strength.

"I missed you." And I know he knew I was not referring only to the last ten months for I had lost him long before that.

"I missed you too." He answered simply while patting my back. "Oh God, look at us, we have become such saps."

"I know, can you imagine the teasing we will have to endure from Zatanna and Artemis when they look at us?" He froze at the mention of his girlfriend (or was it ex now).

"Shit. How much of a dick am I if I tell you that I hadn't thought of Artemis since I escape the speed force?" He asks awkwardly and with shame.

"Probably a major one but I am not one to talk right?" I answer as nonchalant as I can while throwing out the burned bread.

"You dog." He grins forgetting all about Artemis. We continue preparing breakfast and then quietly eat it. The silence is comfortable, like old times. Afterwards, Wally washes the dishes while I go take a quick shower. Once I come out, Wally takes one and puts some clothes I lend him.

"I look ridiculous, how can you still be so tiny?" He asks while pulling at the sleeves of the shirt. The shirt is fine, I know he is uncomfortable because the sleeves aren't long enough to cover his scars. I don't comment on this and instead decide to act insulted.

"I am not tiny, you are just a giant." I say taking my car keys and badge.

"Duuuude, you are leaving?" Wally pouts finally noticing I am wearing my police uniform.

"Sadly, I have to. Amy is already going to kick my ass for being late. I will be back with food at lunch, ok?"

"Fine" He slumps on the couch, I laugh at his melodrama and continue walking towards the door. I am about to leave when I turn around and engulf him in a hug.

"You'll be here when I come back right?" I ask with a little panic.

"Yes, I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise, now go catch some bad guys hot stuff." I snort at that and with regret leave my apartment.


	3. Back to the Beginning

I spent all morning been a jittery mess. Thankfully, I was on desk duty or I would have probably ended up being shot. By lunch hour, I was ready to explode. I sped out of the station to my apartment only to hesitate at the front door. I unlocked it slowly, afraid of what I might not find inside. However, upon entering, I saw Wally laying on my sofa and amazingly waiting with pizza (How did he resist eating it is beyond me.). Relieved, I pushed him over, sat beside him and grabbed a slice. We didn't talk about our previous fights, his disappearance, my guilt or Zoom. Instead, we talked about trivial things. He told me about how crappy TV had gotten since he left, I told him about Tim and work. Soon, lunch hour was over and after Wally promised to be there again when I returned, I left.

An idiot decided to take a bank hostage so I got off work late, almost at ten. Wally was watching the news when I arrived with Chinese takeout.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked when I slumped on the couch beside him.

"Yeah, I had a hostage situation to take care of but other than that, it was a slow day." I say putting my head against his shoulder.

"Yeah, I saw you on the news. You didn't get shot or anything did you?"

"Nah, it was just a scared kid. After I convinced him to let the hostages go, I was able to wrap it up fast." I was beginning to fall asleep. The last few days had been too stressful, between knowing someone was watching me and discovering it was Wally, I haven't gotten a good night sleep in a week. "Mmm" was the only answer I got from Wally. With all the strength I had left, I opened my eyes and soon found out the source of his distraction.

"Hey, those are mine." I say swatting him half heartily.

"Lickers Keepers." He answered with a grin licking the rolls I had brought.

"Next time I will just eat at the restaurant and let you starve." I reply grabbing another carton of food. Wally tries to pout but a smile takes over his face. He knows I won't do that. Idiot. We eat and watch the TV in silence trying to ignore the conversation we know will soon take place. However, soon the food and the news are over.

"Soooo, guess we now have to face the big faster than the speed of light elephant in the room, huh?" Wally asked while taking everything to the trash can in an effort to not look me in the eye.

"I guess we have." Wally sights and sits again beside me. Only this time he was the one with the head on my shoulder.

"What do I do Dick?" His vulnerable whisper reminds me of that time years ago when Wally had doubted I trusted him and tried to kill himself. I hated it.

"We are going to find Zoom, get him in a special cell he won't be able to escape from and then declare you alive once more."

"You make it sound so simple." Wally responds with an unamused laugh.

"Hey, I was trained to deal with worse things and so were you. We will get through this, we always do." I respond and Wally finally lifts his head from my shoulder and smiles at me.

"So, what's the plan Wing?"

"Well, first we need to find help." Wally's body tenses at my words.

"We can't Dick. The only reason Zoom has not find me yet is because I have not contacted anyone except for you. If word gets out that a speedster is back in the rooster, Zoom will connect the dots and find me. More importantly, he will find my family, the team and you." I study his face for a long time, his eyebrows are scrunched up and his mouth is set on a firm straight line, I know that I can't change his mind.

"How about this then, we will investigate and try to find anything we can about Zoom: motives, hiding place and identity and as soon as we have everything, we consider getting back up again." Wally is about to protest but stops when he looks up at my face, he most see that I won't back out either because he sights and with a regretful nod asks, "So where do we start?"

"They say the best place to start is always at the beginning."

-0-0-0-0-

"This is the worst idea you have ever had and that includes that time you thought painting the batmobile pink would be a great prank." Wally grumbles as we walk through miles of snow.

"Would you relax? I have to check the site where you and Zoom came out of the speedforce. It is the only lead we actually have. So unless you want to go to Batman or Flash for help, this is the best we've got."

"I know, I know…but this is also the obvious place besides Central for Zoom to look for me."

"And Zooms knows you know that…hiding in plain sight." I reply with a smirk and he grins in response.

We continued walking towards the point where Wally once disappeared and reappeared again with Zoom in tow. We were both dressed in some of my winter clothing with goggles covering our eyes. Wally kept fidgeting with the zipper of the coat he was wearing and giving exasperated sights at my 'slow' pace. I was amused to note that his feet kept blurring, it was a sign of restlessness; He had too much nervous energy. He kept forgetting he was supposed to walk at a pace I could keep up with and ran ahead only to run back upon noticing he had left me behind.

The closer we got, the more silent and alert we were. Even though I had said Zoom would not look for him at the Artic, I kept vigilant. After all, we were dealing with a speedster and therefore a baddy that could run from Central to the Artic in minutes. Finally we arrived. There was nothing special about the place. Just an open white field with a few mountains around. People that knew no better would be able to walk around without knowing that they were travelling through the place where Kid Flash had saved the world. It was not fair.

Wordlessly, we set to work. Wally put our equipment up in seconds and then kept watch while I studied the area for traces of Zoom or the speedforce.

"Hey?" I snapped out of the algorithms I was studying and turned around to face Wally. "I think I found something." He said holding up a radiation detection device.

"What do you have?" I ask jogging to where he was standing.

"Well, at first I didn't find anything but when I got closer to where Flash, Impulse and I ran that day the device started going off like crazy."

"That is not surprising, considering the amount of energy generated by the MFD that day."

"I would normally agree with you, except that the radiation it's picking up is zeta and chronotron radiation."

"What?" I exclaim taking the device and seeing for myself that he was right. The chronotron and zeta radiation detected was even higher than the levels we found on Bart's time machine. "How is this even possible?"

"Well, I have a theory...a very stupid theory but a theory none the less." Wally shrugged nonchalantly but I could see the seed of doubt in his eyes. However, instead of consuming him and forcing him into silence like it once had, he brushed it away and confidently continued at my questioning look. "We speedsters bend the laws of physics all the time by running at the speed of light right? Essentially, we bend time and space every time we go for a run so what if we can bend it enough to travel in time? What if all this time I was missing I have not been running? What if I simply travelled ten months forward in time?" It sounded so stupid that for a second I almost laughed at him but it also made a lot of sense. I remembered what Wally had said _'_ _He ran circles around me, as if he was running through time itself.'_ Besides, Wally was a science genius, mostly his theories became true. I was just about to say that to him when clapping interrupted me. We both turn around in surprise to find that we are not alone anymore. A man dressed in yellow and red much like Kid Flash and the Reverse Flash is standing in front of us. And if Wally's tense posture besides me wasn't enough of a clue, his laser beam red eyes and evil smirk were enough. This was Zoom.

"You are smarter than you look Flash." Zoom said in a raspy mutated voice worthy of Doomsday. Wally gasped at the use of his uncle's alias but otherwise remained ready for a fight. "I have been looking for you for a long time." He laughed at his own joke.

"Why? What do you want from me?" Wally growled. His body was vibrating but he kept his voice steady and cool.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to kill you."

"Believe it or not, I got that." Wally answered rolling his eyes almost making me laugh out loud. "I meant, why would you travel back in time to kill lil' old me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to escape the speedforce in the first place." My heart stops at that and suddenly I felt insanely grateful that this monster decided to travel back in time to kill Wally.

"You ruined me Flash and now I will ruin your life in return. I have travelled for a long time for this moment and now I have you! Right where I want you! I will…' I interrupted Zoom's monologue by laughing. Both speedster turn towards me in different levels of shock. Wally was looking at me as if I had lost my mind and Zoom look confused to find another person besides Wally. Apparently, he had not notice me at all. How rude.

"Well that's original, not cliché at all. Seriously, 'I have you! Right where I want you!' Good to know that villains don't get any smarter or creative in the future." I say with a smirk and spinning one of my escrima sticks between my fingers.

"Who are you?" Zoom snarls at me taking a threatening step towards us. Wally tries to step in front of me, I evade him and walk forward.

"'Your worst nightmare'" I answer in a mocking tone making him even more furious. I know what he is about to do before he even thinks it. Therefore, I am prepared when a hand closes around my throat. Wally growls behind me and is about to push him from me when I shock Zoom with the stick. Immediately, Zoom frees me so he can step away from the electricity. Before he can recover, Wally takes me in his arms bridal style and runs as fast as he can away from the evil speedster.

Wally runs while carrying me, he runs through mountains, oceans, desserts and valleys and by the end of it I am ready to puke. Finally, Wally stops in the middle of a forest. As soon as he releases me, I fall on my knees and start retching.

"Ugh, that was unpleasant." I say when I stop puking and wiping my mouth with my sleeve. I look around us and study the area. It seems that we are in a tropical forest. Colorful birds flew above us curiously and I could hear water running from somewhere on my left. 'Are we in the Caribbean?'

"What the hell was that?" Wally's growl stops my musings and makes my eyes snap towards his face, he looks pissed.

"What was what?"

"That! Why the hell did you antagonized Zoom? Do you have a death wish?!" He was screaming now, his arms flailing around, feet stumping as he paced back and forth and his face so red that he looked like an air head candy balloon. I tried not to but I bursted out laughing. "Why are you laughing?!" His indignation only fueled my laugher and soon tears were running down my cheeks. Finally, I was able to control myself only to look at his pouting face and losing control all over again.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you look hilarious when you are mad." I say wiping my tears and controlling my breaths. Wally huffed and crossed his arms.

"I should leave you here stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"Aww, but you won't, you love me too much."

"Dick"

"You are funny. To answer your question, no, I don't have a death wish."

"Then why in Batman's name did you challenged Zoom like that?"

"It work didn't it?"

"What worked?" He asked confused at my nonchalant question.

"My plan, duh." I answered vaguely to infuriate him even more. It worked.

"What plan?" His teeth were so clenched I worried he would need dentures.

"You are the only person who could get us out of there without getting into a fight, but I had to take Zoom's attention from you in order for you to be able to actually run us out of there without him catching us."

"I stand corrected. That is the worst idea you have ever had."

"It worked, didn't it? We got the data and spoke to Zoom as a bonus, that's a success in my book." I grin waving the radiation detector device inches from his nose.

"You are an idiot."

"Yeah, yeah. Where are we anyway?" I ask ignoring his deadpanned tone.

"I think we are in The Amazons."

"Why did your ran us here instead of Bludhaven?" I ask confused. How long had they been running for anyway?

"I had to make sure Zoom wasn't following us first genius." He answers, rolling his eyes at my glare. "Anyway, so we know that Zoom came from the future. How does that help us?"

"At least we know now that he doesn't know your identity, he would have used Iris and Barry to threaten you if he knew." I say trying to be the positive one for once. It was rather tiring.

"Ok great. But we still have no clue of who he is or most importantly why the hell would he travel back in time only to kill me?" he exclaims in a yell of frustration and starts pacing and ranting. He continues for about five minutes until he notices my crossed arms and raised eyebrow.

"You done?" He nods sheepishly so I continue. "I don't know what he wants or who he is yet, but now I know the best person to ask."

"Who?" Wally asks suspiciously while grabbing on to my tights when I get up on his back.

"What better person to ask information from the future than someone who is actually from it?" I feel Wally tense at my rhetorical question.

"Bart." He says simply and starts running us once again but this time towards Central City.


	4. Spoilers!

Wally stops at a dark alley in the outskirts of Central City in order for us to exchange our winter gear for more appropriate clothes. We decided to take a taxi towards Bart school to evade detection from the Flash or Zoom. Wally had groaned about how long that would take but at the end he had agreed that running would attract a lot of attention they didn't need at the moment. We arrived just as the bell rang and soon enough we saw the young speedster walking out of the school. I had not seen Bart since the day Wally disappeared but it didn't seem he had changed too much during that time. He had gotten taller and his hair was longer but other than that he looked exactly as he had when he arrived to our time.

We follow him silently as he starts walking home, surprisingly, the young speedster did not start running the minute he believed to be alone. Instead, he walked slowly. Wally is frowning at the kid's slumped shoulders and slow pace but I am grateful that we don't have to chase him around. When we leave the streets behind and start walking through the farm lands the Garrick's reside in, I signal Wally. In seconds, the young speedster crumbles at my feet after I walk behind and pinch a nerve. Wally takes him in his arms and we walk towards the streets once more.

We walk towards an abandoned building and wait patiently until Bart wakes up. We don't talk during that time, both of our minds are too restless from our encounter with Zoom. So, instead we stare at Bart while trying to ignore the pressure that threaten to turn our brains to mush. Bart wakes up soon enough and immediately panics upon not recognizing his surroundings.

"Calm down Bart, it's just me." I try to calm the kid before he decides to book it. I notice that Wally has hide, probably a good idea.

"What...Dick? What are you doing? Where am I?" He calmed a little upon recognizing my face but I was proud to see that he was still on guard.

"We are still in Central City. Also, I sent a message to Joan and Jay to tell them you went to the HQ so they don't worry."

"Okkk? Sooo, why have you taken me? I have learned to use your retro phones you know." He says waving what I presume to be his cellphone around.

"We couldn't risk anyone knowing we talked to you."

"What? Why? Are you in trouble? Is it Tim? Oh my god is Tim isn't? I told him he was going to get himself hurt if he didn't get sleep. Stubornbatstheydonteverlisten...wait we?" Bart stops ranting upon realizing what I had said, probably thinking that I meant Tim and I, he started frantically looking around for the young bird only to find someone else instead. Wally had stepped out of the shadows and stood with a nervous grin behind Bart. Confusion, pain, hope and finally anger flashed through Bart's eyes. Suddenly, like Dick, Bart attacks Wally who effectively evades every punch from the faster speedster.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down Jr. It's me, Wally."

"Wally is dead." Bart spats finally connecting his fist to Wally's stomach.

"Humph" Wally grumbles and stops trying fending off Bart and takes the offensive. He takes both of his hands and pushes him against his own body, effectively trapping him. "Damn, you have sharper elbows than Dick."

"Hey!" I protest finally approaching the pair. Bart keeps trying to get out of Wally's hold but albeit he was faster, Wally was stronger and more trained.

"Why does everyone keep trying to kick my butt? Not feeling the love dude." Wally jokes lightly trying to ease Bart into listening to them.

"Who are you?" Bart snarls looking directly into my eyes since he couldn't see Wally's behind him.

"Bart, I know this is hard to believe but that is really Wally. We can explain everything and we will. We just need you to listen to us for a couple of seconds. Then you can decide for yourself if we are telling the truth." Bart seems to consider this and with distressful eyes gives a tiny nod.

"Great...so where do we start?" Wally exclaims releasing his cousin.

-YJ-

Bart is gaping by the time Wally finishes his story. He looks between Wally and me as if searching for any signs of deceit with wide eyes. Wally's hands are twitching nervously but I am calmed, after all if **I** that was trained by The Batman believed his story, Bart surely would too.

"Iamsosorry!" Bart suddenly exclaims throwing himself at Wally who scrambles to catch him. "Iamsosososorry. It was ALL my fault! I should have never come to the past. I'msorrysosorry. Because of me you DIED! Please don't hate me. I am sorry." Bart was sobbing while grabbing onto Wally for dear life. Wally on his part looked completely confused and lost on what he was supposed to do. He patted Bart's back awkwardly while mouthing 'HELP' to me with a panicked look. If it wasn't for the crying kid, I would have laugh out loud already at him. Wally seemed to get that because now he was glaring at me. I only grin, roll my eyes and signal him to just talk to him.

"Bart stop, it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault. Dying is a risk we take by been a hero. It's part of the hero gig."

"No, no, no. You don't get it." Bart moans, finally releasing Wally in order to pace back and forth.

"Then explain it to me kiddo." Wally says stopping him from his pacing with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You were not supposed to die that day. You only did because of me."

"What do you mean?" Wally asks confused but I understood.

"The time stream...it changed." I whisper making both speedsters jump at my voice. Apparently, they had forgotten I was there. Bart nods and slumps on the floor with his head between his hands. Wally shoots a confused look at both of us and asks "What do you mean?"

"Bart changed the time stream by coming here." I explain but Wally still looks confused.

"Obviously, if not we would probably be slaves of the Reach now. But what does that have to do with you blaming yourself for my disappearance?" Wally asks sitting beside Bart.

"Wally, if I hadn't come back in time you would have not died that day. Sure, the world would have turn into hell but you got to live twenty or so years more. I killed you!" Bart collapses against Wally's shoulder who embraces and comforts him.

"Both of you, listen to me, because I am getting sick of saying this. My disappearance was NOT anybody's fault. I made that choice. Dick, you being the mission leader does not mean you were responsible. Bart, you are as much of a hero as me in this story. If you hadn't come back, the world would have been doom, so never feel sorry for being so brave and selfless. Nobody is to blame for what happened to me except the Reach and the Light so I don't want to hear any more of this guilt nonsense again, do you understand?" Wally rants once Bart calms down. He glares at both of us, daring us to reproach him but we just give him almost identical sheepish smiles. Upon seeing them, Wally grins back and pulls us both into a hug.

"Awwgh" I exclaim when I find myself being squished by two speedsters. "Release me you monsters."

"Never!" Wally squishes me even harder making Bart giggle. Just as I begin to feel light headed from lack of Oxygen, Wally frees us. I take deep overdramatic breaths to which Wally rolls his eyes and Bart laughs.

"You should be used to us speedster by now."

"I hate you."

"You love me."

"Why did I miss you again?"

"Dick"

"Clever"

"Oh my god, you both sound like an old married couple." Bart exclaims suddenly, tears of mirth running down his face. Wally and I share a mischievous look and suddenly Bart finds himself in a Dick's chokehold while Wally tickles him until he finally gives in and calls uncle.

"What did Uncle Barry said when he saw you?" Bart asked once they could breathe again.

"Mmmm, we haven't actually told him yet."

"What, why?" Bart frowns at Wally's vague answer.

"You know how I told you I escaped the speed force a couple of weeks ago."

"Yeaaah..."

"Well...I wasn't the only one there."

"Who else could have been in the speed force?"

"Another speedster and obviously he wants my head. Because nothing can be easy for us. His name is Zoom." Bart's reaction is immediate. He gasps in horror, eyes wide.

"It can't be." He says leaning against a wall.

"You know him?" I ask afraid of what he might say.

"I've read about him. He was, he was...the Flash worse enemy."

"Flash worst enemy? Worse than the Reverse Flash?"

"Well no, the Reverse Flash is also Flash's worst enemy." Wally and I exchange a confused look and gesture for Bart to elaborate. "Zoom is the worst enemy of The Flash that came after gramps."

"There's another Flash!" We both exclaim in surprise making Bart roll his eyes.

"You do know Grandpa is the second Flash right?"

"Well, yeah but it's just weird for someone else to be The Flash you know. I can't imagine anyone who could be fast enough to step into his shoes." Bart snorts at this making Wally frown and angrily exclaim. "What? You think you'll be Flash one day?" The air grows cold and tense after Wally's unbelieving remark. Bart shoulders have slumped and in what had to be a first, he is completely still and silent. I glare at Wally and gesture for him to approach Bart. After a silent battle, which I won, Wally approaches his cousin and gently grasps his shoulder. "Bart, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Mmm, yeah, ok, I know." Bart replies unconvincedly while trying and failing to unnoticeably free himself from Wally.

"So, Zoom really is a time traveler. But, why did he come here?" Wally asks in an effort to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Well he probably came to finish the job. He travelled back in time to destroy his enemy before he becomes too strong, before he becomes The Flash?" I answer with dread filling my stomach.

"That still doesn't explain why he wants _me_ dead!" Wally growls in frustration but I ignore him, instead I am transported back to the Arctic 'You ruined me _**Flash**_ and now I will ruin your life in return' Zoom had said. At the time, I thought Zoom had incorrectly assume Wally was Barry but now... Barry has been appearing all over the world as Flash and from what I know, Zoom has not contacted him but he found Wally at the Arctic which means he knows Barry is not the Flash he is looking for, he know his Flash is... I look at Bart who has grown silent. The speedster has averted his eyes and is fidgeting madly. He was hiding something and I knew what.

"Bart." Wally stops his rant at my whisper while the younger speedster's eyes snap towards me. "Zoom has not mistaken Wally for his Flash has he." I continue, Bart eyes widen and for a second it looks like he will run away but finally he just shakes his head. I nod.

"What are you two talking about?" Wally exclaims confused as per usual.

"Wally, Zoom came to kill the Flash."

"I know Dick, Bart already said that."

"Zoom is trying to kill you." I can see the recognition flash in his eyes.

"No...I can't be. I...the Flash is the fastest man alive!" He yells in desperation.

"He is. The third Flash will be the fastest man alive. Wally, _**you**_ will become the fastest man alive." Bart finally confirms out loud for all of us to hear what we have already figured out. Zoom has come back in time to destroy Wally West who will also be known as The Flash.


	5. Stories from the past or is it future?

Wally returned from his run half an hour later. He didn't say anything, he just gave us a couple of paper bags from McDonalds and sat silently. Bart and I ate quietly, not daring to disturb the red headed speedster. Occasionally, we shared worried looks but Wally didn't seem to notice. When we finished eating, Wally finally looked up.

"Explain" Wally's single uttered world carried so much confusion, pain and desolation that I almost broke. Even though he was obviously talking to Bart, I felt the impulse to bear my heart out if only to erase that tone from his voice and the pain in his eyes. Incredibly, Bart tried to refuse.

"I...I don't think I should." He stammered rubbing the back of his head and flinching at Wally's immediate glare.

"Why the hell not?" Wally snarled

"It could screw up everything even more."

"Why the hell does that matter?"

"Because, what if you don't become the Flash anymore because of something I say?!" Bart snapped making Wally back away from the towering stand he had taken.

"Ok then, don't tell us how Wally becomes the Flash. Tell us about Zoom. What makes him more or equal to the Reverse Flash?" I demanded, Wally looked ready to argue but I sent him a look that quieted his protests. Bart released a breath upon seeing Wally would stop questioning him, at least for the moment, and started talking.

"Zoom is known as Wally's Reverse Flash, however in all literary books they portray him as even more ruthless and evil. Unlike the original Reverse Flash, Zoom is not a speedster. Supposedly, he was in an accident that derailed him from the time stream giving him the ability to alter speed. He doesn't run faster than light, he gives the impression of doing so by altering the speed in which he moves in time. My dad told me that he knew you before becoming Zoom. You were both friends."

"What? He knew my secret identity!"

"Yes, and when he got pissed at you he decided to "help' you." Bar suddenly looked downcast. A shiver ran down my spine, nothing good ever comes of a criminal trying to help you.

"What did he do?" Wally asked fearfully.

"He..he killed your unborn children, he killed my cousins." Wally and I gasp. This monster would someday kill Wally's kids. This maniac would destroy a part of Wally. That was unacceptable, next time I saw him, he would die. I though suddenly furious, but not as furious as Wally.

"Why would that HELP me?!" Wally finally yelled, Bart flinched once more, drying the silent tears that had fallen from his eyes.

"I don't know….You never told anyone, not even Dad or Aunt Dawn. The only ones who knew were both of you." Wally sobbed. I hugged him with all the strength I had, hoping to chase his pain away, knowing I could not. I felt as if I had just heard my own children's fate. Because any child of Wally, I would love like my own. Any part of him, I loved.

"After that you confronted him and when you defeated him, he just disappeared into thin air. Nobody ever saw him again. But the damage has already been done. His actions destroyed you, shortly after that you retired."

"The speedforce, he didn't disappeared, he went into the speedforce," I say suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us.

"He decided to travel back in time to finish me off before I became the Flash." Wally continued my train of though.

"I guess…I think you should talk to Gramps. You are not ready to fight him yet."

"No"

"No?" Bart and I both ask at the same time.

"No. I am not letting this monster anywhere near my family. He came for **ME**."

"Walls…"

"No, Dick. I am not changing my mind. Nobody else will be thrown into this mess. The only reason I am not trying to bubble wrap you both right now is because I know you would be pissed."

"Okay, fine. We do this ourselves. But, where do we start, we still don't know how to find Zoom?" I exclaim frustrated with the overprotective speedster but I understood his reasoning. If an evil psychopath was after me, I wouldn't want him near Bruce, Alfie, Tim, Babs and Wally either.

"Maybe you should find his doppelganger." Bart suggested making us both frown.

"His what?" Wally asked confused.

"You know, his doppelganger, the Zoom from this timeline. Maybe if you find out more about him, you could figure out how to find the real Zoom."

"That's a good idea but how are we going to do that if we don't even know his name?" I asked trying to wrap my head around it. Oh, how I wish Tim was here.

"Well….I know his last name. Does that count?"

"WHAT? AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T TOLD US." Wally and I both exclaim.

"Sorry, sorry. I may have photographic memory but I still have ADHD. I get distracted." Wally looks towards the sky as if asking for the strength necessary not to strangle Bart.

"Ok, ok, what is it then?" He asked exasperated when Bart doesn't talk immediately.

"Zolomon. His last name is Zolomon."


	6. The World's Second Best Detective

**Chapter Text**

"This is useless!" Wally exclaimed a week later throwing up his hands in defeat. He and I had been searching for any Zolomon that may share a connection with Wally to the point of them one day becoming friends close enough that Wally would reveal his secret identity to him. However, we had found more Zolomon's than we could have ever expect. In Central City alone, there were approximately five hundred men with the name. We also had found hundreds of Zolomon's that may also one day meet Wally from Palo Alto, University, Happy Harbor and more. Therefore, a week later, we were no closer in figuring out what Zolomon may one day become Zoom. We had eliminated some of them aka those with disabilities but obviously the suspect list was longer than we could afford. Wally shared a connection with only three of them: he took a university course with one of them, one lived a block away from Barry and Iris's house and the last one went to the same elementary school as Wally in Keystone. However, Wally didn't remember any of them so while we couldn't eliminate them from our suspect list, we also couldn't categorize them as main suspects. The progress we had made, if you could call it that, was painfully slow. Therefore, Wally 's exasperation didn't come as a surprise.

"We have only been searching for a week, we'll find something." I lied without looking up from my computer or Wally would have seen right through me.

"Dick, at this pace, Zoom will find and kill me way before we manage to check out from these list at least fifty Zolomon's. This is not working,"

"Do _you_ have any other ideas?" I replied in frustration. "No" Was the downcast answer I received from the redhead.

"Then shut up and keep looking." Wally groaned but nevertheless sat down and continued his research. Not even ten minutes later, _I_ groaned.

"Ok, you are right. This is useless." Wally raises his eyebrows in an 'I told you so' manner but doesn't say anything. "Every time I manage to cross out a name, I find ten more new ones to add. We need new parameters. We need to find a way to shorten this list."

"Well, you are the detective, what should we do?"

"I don't know" I groan. "This is way beyond my detective skills, is like finding a needle in a haystack...worse is like finding a specific needle in a pile of needles." I reply finally showing y frustration and worries. 'What if I couldn't find Zolomon? Would it even help if we did? Could I save Wally? Or would I let him die again?'

"So what are you saying? We should give up, wait for him to find _us_ and hope we don't die." Wally says as a matter of fact snapping me out of my depressing thoughts.

"Of course not! I am not giving up on you!" I exclaim furious he would even think that. Wally seems shock at first at my loud proclamation but quickly hides it with an expressionless mask.

"Then how are we going to find him, when even Batman's protégé, the second world's best detective can't!" Wally exclaims flinging his arms around exasperated and slumping even further in his seat. I ponder on this willing the depressing thought out of my head. There has to be a way to solve this. There has to be a way to save Wally and I would not give up until I find it. Even if I have to investigate every Zolomon in the planet. What kind of a detective I would be if I couldn't find one single person? Bruce would be so disappointed. After all, like Wally said, he had raised me to be the second best detective in the world. Other than him, I was the best man for this job. Suddenly, a spark of hope blossomed in my chest. After all, why settle for nothing but the best. Especially when it came to Wally. I was willing to set my ego aside and accept I wasn't the best if it meant saving my best friend's life.

"We need help. We need a better detective, fresh eyes." I say to Wally with no room for argument. Wally doesn't seem to care and tries to argues anyway.

"No. We are not involving Bruce in this. It would only be a matter of time before that involves my uncle. I am lucky Zoom hasn't tried anything with them yet, especially if he knows my id. I am not risking it."

"I didn't meant Bruce. There's another detective better than me in the Bat family. We need to bring Tim in."

After much arguing and some threats of including Batman instead of Tim, Wally finally agrees with me calling my younger yet better detective brother. Tim sounds surprise to receive my call, making me feel guilty for my lack of communication in the past months. However, with more pressing matters in mind, I vow to make it up to him at a later date and ignore it for the moment. I ask him to come to my place in Bludhaven making up an excuse about needing his help in a case. Tim's sounds skeptical at my call for help. After all, as I have said, I was very proud and never asked directly for help. However, his curiosity or worry seemed to weight more than his skeptics because he agrees to come over. Soon after, a knock on the door silences Wally and me. The speedster immediately speeds over to hide in my bedroom having agreed with me that it was better that I explained the situation first. I open my door to find an uneasy Tim. He has grown a few inches since I last saw him and his arms aren't as wiry as they used to be. However, the shadow under his eyes is even darker than before and his eyes seem a little hollow. The guilt comes back full force.

"Hey Timmy." I salute trying to ignore the guilt that's trying to rip me to shreds from inside out.

"Dick" He sights and suddenly I find myself being embraced by the teen. After a couple of minutes, he pulls back and with an awkward cough comes in. He inspects my apartment, immediately noticing the blankets and pillows on the sofa and second set of plates and forks on the table.

"So what is this really about?" He asks bluntly making me fight a small grin.

"That is a long story, so you may want to take a sit." Tim sits down at the table and I sit after him in the chair facing him.

"So…Wally's alive." I say without preamble because in this family sometimes bluntness is the best way to go. To his credit Tim eyebrows only rise a millimeter before his face becomes expressionless again.

"How?" He asks

"Turns out he never died, he was just suck in into the Speedforce, ever heard of it?"

"Bart has mentioned it." He answers, face still expressionless. "Did you take all the precautions needed?" He asked then.

"Almost. Mind reading is the only one I haven't done yet but I am 99.99% sure it's him."

"What do you mean 99.99% sure?" Wally suddenly bursts into the room with a dumbfounded expression, forgetting he was supposed to hide until Tim knew everything.

"You could still be a clone." I say flatly. He gapes at me and finally rolls his eyes and slumps on another chair around the table.

"Stupid paranoid bats" He mutters making me smirk. Tim gets both of our attention by clearing his throat.

"So…who else knows about this?" He asks

"Besides us, Bart." I answer. Tim raises an eyebrow and studies us. Wally and I share a confused look.

"Why?" He asks after a minute staring right at Wally. "A crazy maniac speedster escaped the speedforce at the same time I did and now wants to kill me. I am afraid that by telling my family I am here or the Justice League, I will put them in danger." Wally answers in a rush with a fierce look.

"That makes sense, why come to Dick then?"

"He is the only one I trusted not to tell anyone and at the same time help me." At this, Tim finally lets out a shock expression. He hides it quickly but not before Wally and I see it.

"You _**trust**_ Dick? Before you disappear you wouldn't even look at him in the eye. Did you really came to him out of trust or because you find him expendable enough that you don't care if this speedster kills him." Tim exclaims with a furious over protective glare while standing up and squaring his shoulders. He and Wally look so angry that I am seriously afraid that they may start trading blows.

"I do **NOT** think that Dick is expendable. He is my best friend and the only reason I came to him is because it is the way it has always been. Whenever, I need help, Dick has always been the person to be there for me so don't talk shit if you don't know what the hell you're talking about." Wally exclaims making me flinch. After all, I hadn't always been there for him. Tim seems shocked at the outburst but quicly pulls himself out of it and was about to reply when I stopped him.

"Tim, there are a lot of thing you don't know about Wally and I. Just know that before you became a part of the team, we were the best of friends, brothers even and that there is no one I trust more." Silence engoulfs the apartment for a few moments before Tim finally lets out a sight and crumbles back down on the chair.

"I know you both were very close. I have heard the stories. Is just that I saw how much he hurt you by ignoring you and after he died you were just gone. I guess I have been blaming him all this time for that."

"Oh Tim" I say kneeling down before him "I appreciate that but you have to know that I deserved to be ignored. Even now that he has forgiven me, the guilt still lives within me. It was my fault."

"Hey, don't say crap like that. I already forgave you so stop been an _**dick**_ and forgive yourself." Wally manages to make Tim and I smile at his horrible pun and I try to slap Wally's head only for the speedster to evade it and slap me instead.

"Not fair" I pout while taking my seat at the table

"All is fair in love and war" Wally grins sitting down beside me.

"So…why did you tell me all this?" Tim asks reminding Wally and I why Tim was here in the first place. Immediatly we were back to business.

"We need your help. We have discovered that the speedster 'Zoom' is from the future and has come back in time to kill Wally before he becomes The Flash and hence his number one enemy."

"You become The Flash?" Tim exclaims surprised making me frown.

"Believe me, this is as much of a surprise to you as it is for me." Wally replies making my frown even more deeper. 'What was so surprising about Wally becoming The Flash?'

"Well not to me, I always knew you would succeed your uncle one day. Nevertheless, that's not the point. The point is that you do become The Flash and Zoom has come back to kill you."

"How do you know he is from the future?" Tim asked trying to aliviate the tension I had created while trying to pull Wally away from his self deprecating thoughts.

"He hinted it and then Bart confirmed it. He also told us that his last name was Zolomon and that sometime in the future he and I become friends before he decides to kill me." Wally answers taking his eyes away from mine.

"We have been trying to find his doppleganger, I mean his younger self, the him from this time, the version of him that lives in this time stream but there must be a million Zolomon's out there and only three of them are connected to Wally and I don't think there's enough evidence to eliminate the others in order to pursue this three."

"So you want me to find him for you?" Tim asks a smirk forming on his face at the implication that he can do what I can't.

"Yes" I say through clenched teeth making him laugh. He pulls out his computer and immediately enters the bat database where he searches for every Zolomon on Earth.

"Ok, so we obviously need to narrow this down. First, you said he was male so that eliminates half of these. Was he American?" At our nod, Tim adds the parameter and we watch as the list narrows to those Wally and I had been investigating.

"So Wally, if you hadn't gone into the speedforce, where would you be right now? What were your future plans?" Tim asks

"I would have probably finish my degree and started working as a forensic in the police department."

"Where?"

"Keystone." He answers. Tim reduces the list to Zolomon's near Keystone.

"Why Keystone?" He asks making Wally suddenly look uncomfortable and my interest peak. Afterall, I knew that Keystone only had bad memories for Wally. Why would he go there instead of Central?

"Well, I didn't want Uncle Barry's work at the force to influence the decision in accepting me. Also, I…I wanted to come out of retairment." He mumbles looing down as if ashamed.

"You did?" I ask shocked. Afterall, Wally had denied multiple times my pleas for him to come back to the team.

"Yeah…I know I wouldn't be as good as The Flash but Keystone needed a hero and I felt bad that I had this abilities and wasn't using them for nothing except reading books faster. Besides, I love helping people." He shrugged his shoulders as if his confession held no importance.

"What about Artemis?" I aked

"I don't think it would have stop me if Artemis didn't aproove of my decision." Wally answered. He sat in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, only the sound of Tim's typing heard.

"ok, I have your guy"

"What?!" Wally and I exclaim

"Yes, I am that good." Tim says in a rare show of arrogance. Wally and I share an eyeroll making him smirk. "So I decided that whoever Zoom is he most meet you after you graduate college because to create a friendship close enough to reveal secret id's you had need more than the year you had left. Also since the workplace is the best place for grudges I searched for Zolomon's in Keystone's police department but found nothing. However, I found a serial killer in their database with the name of Zolomon that commited suicide by cop when the police found him after he killed his wife. His son, Hunter Zolomon, became part of the FBI until his father in law got killed bacuse of a mistake he made. The FBI terminated his employement after that and his wife Ashley left him. He applied to a profiler position working with the police of Keystone in their Department of Metahuman Hostilities a week ago. If he is accepted and believe me he will, he would have the perfect position to come in contact with a metahuman like The Flash aka you and the forensic department aka again you. This much connection, especially for a profiler is enough to make him realize you are The Flash even if you don't tell him." Tim finished his analysis appreciating our gobsmack expressions.

"I take it back Dick, Tim is the world's second best detective." Wally says after a while. I feel so proud of my little brother that there isn't even room for indignation. So I just pull Tim into a crushing hug.

"You are awesome!" I say pulling back and ruffling his hair.

"I know" He answers. "Anyway, what are you going to do now?"

"We are going to see the younger Hunter Zolomon. Maybe a talk with him will tell us how we can defeat his future self."

"Well, good luck with that."

"What do you mean?" Wally asks the teen

"Well, if I was Zoom I would be watching my younger self like a hawk…also if this speedster has the ability to come back in time and decides to use the opportunity to kill you instead of saving his father in law, mother or matrimony then I don't think the person you will encounter will be someone you will be able to reason with." With that depressing thought, Tim gets up the chair, waves goodbye and leaves us behind.


	7. Making a Murderer

"Wally! We have already been over this. You CAN'T come with."

"But, whyyy?" Wally pouts while crossing his arms, for a minute I think he is going to stomp his foot like a three-year-old but thankfully he manages to control his inner child.

"Because Zoom knows your identity and could be watching Zolomon. If you come with me to talk to his doppelganger, Zoom will recognize and kill you." I repeat logically for what most be the hundredth time. Wally still doesn't stop pouting though.

"Why can you go? What if he becomes suspicious of you?" He whines.

"Why would he be suspicious? Even if recognizes me as Richard Greyson, there is no reason for him to believe you and I are connected. Our civilian selves have never been seen together in public. Besides, I am a cop. It won't be weird if I pop up at Keystone's Police Department for help in a case. You on the other hand aren't even technically alive." I finish my reasoning hoping he will finally accept the logic in my statement. After all, we had already lost a lot of time waiting for Zolomon to be accepted into the department. Five days have passed since Tim found out Zoom's secret identity. Wally and I decided that it was best to wait for him to enter the department in order to be able to confront him in a public space instead of a private one like his house. Also, it would give me a good alibi as to why I needed to talk to him in the first place. The plan was to pretend I needed help identifying a metahuman and who better for the job than Keystone's newly appointed metahuman profiler. The only part we still hadn't agreed on was the part where Wally had to stay behind.

"Ok, ok, I get it. But I am still going to Keystone with you. Even if I can't talk to Zolomon directly, I will not leave you alone." He finally surrenders. Figuring it is the best deal I am going to get, I agree with an eye roll. Wally smirks at my half surrender and receives a punch on the arm for his efforts.

"You'll have to disguise yourself however. That hair is recognizable from a mile away. How do you feel about wigs?"

"Ah man" Wally groans making me cackle in delight. Revenge was indeed sweet.

We wait until Zolomon solves his first case, two days later, so that my visit doesn't look too strange. I enter the department confidently and after a quick flirty remarks ('Is she hot?' Wally asks me through the ear piece) the secretary directs me towards Zolomon's cubicle.

"Mr. Zolomon, this is officer Grayson from Bludhaven's Police Department. He wants to asks you some questions."

"Of course, thank you Jenny, how may help you, Mr. Grayson?" Zolomon asks shaking my hand. Nothing about his attitude seem out of the norm and his cubicle is as normal as my own back home. Nothing seems to scream evil psycho. But after years of working with the Batman, I have learned that nothing it is ever as it seems.

"Mr. Zolomon, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am very sorry for troubling you like this but I heard of your recent success with that metahuman yesterday and I knew you were the best man to help me with my case." Wally snorts and calls me out for kissing ass almost making me chuckle out loud. Thankfully, I have been trained by the best.

"Of course, I would be happy to help in any way I can." Zolomon answers with a new shine in his eyes. 'A hint of arrogance, probably a superiority complex and feels undervalued and unappreciated which is not a surprise considering he just got kicked out from the FBI' I list mentally for my own profile. I present to him the fake case Tim, Wally and I had constructed in the past days. Subtly, I praise his input and validate his work. With every hidden complement, Zolomon becomes more animated and outspoken. A smirk threatens to escape my face.

"Thank you so much for this Mr. Zolomon, I am sure your profile will be of great help in capturing this metahuman."

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine, Mr. Grayson." He answers looking a little put out with my leave.

"Seriously, have you ever considered working for the FBI? You are really talented to be working in a cubicle?" I ask innocently. A small frown appears in his face for a millisecond before he hides it with a fake smirk.

"I like helping the little people. I think my services should be where they are most needed." He answers with fake humbleness. I almost snort out loud. For a profiler, he is a terrible liar. 'Lives in denial, he can't accept the truth.'

"That's very heroic of you. I also imagine it helps that you have shorter hours. The hours of the FBI are crazy, your wife and family most appreciate your choice." This time, Zolomon doesn't hide his frown. Bingo. Upon the mention of his ex-wife, Zolomon's face transforms. His eyes lose the shine they had acquire at my compliments and turn as dark as underground tunnels. His nose flares up like a rabid dog and his mouth turns into a horrible grimace. He looks evil.

"She certainly does." He lies through his teeth. 'Checkmate' Wally sings in my ear. The warm smile gone, Zolomon immediately directs me towards the exit of the station but not before grabbing a cane, I curse myself for taking out the disable from my initial list.

"Are you a war veteran?" I blurt out, intrigued. Zolomon stops dead cold and slowly turns towards me.

"No." He answers with a deadpanned voice.

"Oh…how did you get the limp?" I ask. 'Dick, what are you doing?' Wally asks through the earpiece but I ignore him and push harder. "A shooting, metahuman went rogue or did you simply had an accident?"

"That is none of your business Mr. Grayson." He spats, any trace of amicably gone.

"Oh, well, it is good then that you don't want a position with the FBI. I can't imagine they would take on board a man with an injury like yours." I say letting out a mocking laugh, 'Shit' Wally whispers and I can almost see him face palming.

"What would you know? The only reason you are not parading through the streets robbing people of their wallets is because Bruce Wayne decided to make you his boy toy, gypsy." He spats hatefully. Wally curses out loud and I knew he was on the verge of storming inside and punching the daylights out of Zolomon. I, however, have heard worse. So with a smirk I reply, "Perhaps." This only seems to infuriate Zolomon even more. "People like you are the reason the world is going to shit. You are an ungrateful bastard, just like my wife and all those metahumans. They don't deserve all those powers; they don't know how to appreciate them." 'Jealousy, spite and envy. The final touches for making a murderer' I finish my mental profile. Realizing what he had just blurted out, Zolomon snaps his mouth shut. I grin at him and start making my way towards the door. Unable to resist myself, I turn around and call out a last remark "Your help was greatly appreciated, I am sure all your family is very proud of the man you have become." And with that I turn around and leave.

I walk down the street with a self-satisfied smile. Zolomon is obviously pissed with the FBI and his ex-wife. Furthermore, he seems to resent the fact that metahumans have powers while he needs a cane to walk. These would explain his application to the metahuman taskforce, after all humans tend to destroy those they don't understand. But why would he come back to kill Wally? Why not kill his ex-wife or boss on the FBI? What did Wally do to gain so much hatred? Ok, Dick, think. What does Zolomon appreciate most in the world? Power, strength and dignity, I list out based on my profile. Therefore, Wally most have come between one of this. But how? Zolomon has evidently already lost his power, strength and dignity…but Zoom hasn't. Zoom doesn't need a cane to walk a visitor out, he doesn't need to rely on his intelligence to gain some respect and he definitely doesn't need to resort to petty insults to gain back his dignity. How did this broken man become a feared powerful enemy…...he gave himself powers? The only person who had ever done that was Wally. Did Wally helped Zoom gain his powers? But why would Zolomon hate him for that? No…. Wally probably refused to help him and with and ego like his, Zolomon probably never forgot.

"Hello Grayson" So lost in thought I didn't notice the man in front of me until he was right at my face. The man looked a lot like Zolomon, only older.

"Do I know you?" I tried to stall knowing I was doomed. 'What's happening Dick?' Wally yelled.

"Not yet." The soulless man smirked and in a second I was out cold.


	8. The truth is out and it hurts

I don't open my eyes when I wake up. I stay as still as I can and study my surroundings. I can smell the distinct odor of dirty water, the air is hot and musty, I can hear seagulls and the crash of the waves. I am at a dock, now I only have to figure out what dock. With super speed, Zoom could have taken me to literally any dock in the world. The chances of me getting out of this situation alive are worse than those of Batman and the Joker becoming best friends. Well, I guess if it is time to go, I better go in style. With this thought, I finally open my eyes. There's a lightbulb swinging, the light it provides is very dim but it is enough for me to noticed the yellow clad man before me. Zoom's red eyes stare directly into mine; I resist the urge to look away.

"Welcome back" he horrible smile could give the Joker's a run for its money.

"Who are you?" I ask, attempting to look as pathetic as a civilian would in this situation.

"Cut the act. I know you know who I am Grayson. I have been searching for you for days. But ever since Flash came back you have gone off radar. You stopped showing up for work and you haven't step a foot at either Wayne's manor nor his company. Lucky for me, you decided to come to me." He finished his speech, the horrible smile never leaving his face. The thought of Zoom being so close to Bruce, Tim and Alfred scared me but I tried to ignore it. I needed to know how much he knew about me.

"What do you want with me?" I snarl deciding the direct approach will work better than the oblivious one. Zoom chuckles at my change in attitude.

"Isn't it obvious. I am going to kill you."

"Why?" I ask not even remotely surprise my death is in his plans.

"To destroy Flash of course." He answers. I try not to flinch; Wally would never forgive himself for my death. The thought of what this will do to him scares me, I don't want Wally to ever feel the guilt and suffering I did when he disappeared.

"You already killed his unborn children in the future, how will my death ever compare to that." I snarl suddenly furious at how much pain this man, this monster, will cause Wally. I wanted to rip away his gleeful smile and hateful eyes. I wanted to tear him to pieces for even considering touching Wally. I wanted to kill him. Zoom's laugh breaks me out of my hateful thoughts. "What's so funny?" I ask, blood rushing to my head.

"That's what I thought too. When I killed his spawns, I thought I had finally won. But Flash didn't remain destroyed…he came back." I listen carefully to his story, trying to find any way to keep him occupied in hopes of a miracle. "The Flash came after me and instead of trying to kill me, he simply captured me. Even the deaths of his children weren't enough to destroy him, to make him abandon his stupid moral code. He still remained good." He spats the last word disgusted. I find myself trying to contain my smile. Never before have I ever admire Wally so much as I do in this moment. For I knew how much he had gone through. With his depression, nobody would be surprise if he had given up upon this tragedy. Especially when I knew how much he desired a family of his own but feared his abilities at being a father.

"What does that have to do with me?" I ask out of curiosity. Why would this man decide my death would be able to break The Flash when even the murder of his children hadn't?

"Everything. You see, if you weren't able to lean on each other the death of the children would have destroyed both of you but you did. Both of you acted as an anchor towards the other and were able to survive the tragedy I had thrust upon you."

"What do you mean both of us?" I asked sincerely confused. After all, I am able to admit that Wally has always been my anchor but the death of his children while a tragedy wouldn't be as destructive to me as Zoom portrayed it to be. For Wally to be able to survive the death of his unborn children and most probably wife, he would need a lot more than me for an anchor. Specially, since the only reason Wally and I are on good terms is because Bart change the timeline. Again, Zoom's laugh snaps me out of my thoughts.

"You really don't know. Detective, you were able to find out that I was from the future, that someday I will kill West's spawns and my identity but you didn't figure out the most important piece of all? I didn't come back in time to kill The Flash, I came back to crush him and the only way to do that is to take away from him his anchor, his best friend, the person he loves the most, the father of his unborn children…you."

After his shocking statement, Zoom ran away leaving behind only a puff of smoke and my shocked self. 'It couldn't be' I tried to tell myself but deep down I knew I was just trying to ignore what I knew to be true. At a young age, I harbored a crush for the redheaded speedster that was quickly squashed by the fact that Wally was obviously the straightest man on the planet. At times, I had thought that there could be something more to the touches, sleepovers and 'I love yous' we shared. But with time, I accepted that we were only destined to be best friends and moved on and never thought about it again. Now that I considered the possibility of a future together, my heart rate begins to rise and a blush fills my cheeks. How could I have never notice before how much I liked Wally West? Suddenly, I remember what brought this sudden epiphany to light, Zoom. Zoom was going to use me to destroy Wally. Once again I would be the cause of Wally's destruction and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. I hope that Wally finds a way to survive the guilt and move on. At least, it seems that Zoom doesn't know my identity as Nightwing. His only reason for taking me was to destroy Wally, therefore my family and our secret should be safe.

With a pang I realize that in a future the possibility of having the family I so much desired had existed. But now, all that was left of this dream was dust, Zoom had taken it upon himself to destroy it. Unable to contain myself any longer I let the tears fall silently down my cheeks. I cry for Wally and the suffering he is about to experience, I cry for my unborn children who I will never get a chance to meet, I cry for myself and for the future that has been rip away from my hands. Was this how Jason felt in this moment? Alone with his thoughts, did he cried for himself and cursed the world for being so cruel.

I woke up sometime later from a slap to the face. Zoom had come back. A furious look has replaced the creepy smile of pleasure he had acquired at making me suffer with the truth.

"Why hasn't Flash come to get you yet?" He asked while delivering a painful punch to my face.

"Did you really think he would? He probably doesn't even know where we are?" I say only to spite him.

"How could he not?! I didn't take away any of the tracers on you!" This came as a surprise to me…Zoom wanted to kill me in front of Wally. His arrogance would be his downfall.

"That doesn't mean he will come." I reply with new hope while studying my surroundings as subtly as possible. I catch movement out of the corner of my left eye and almost smirk. Instead I concentrate on Zoom.

"And why not?!" He screams delivering a new punch managing to split my lip.

"Because you made a mistake" I reply with a smirk only to receive another slap. He is about to run but stops when I continue talking. "Maybe in the future I am Wally's anchor, but in this time, Wally and I barely talk to each other. The only reason I have been helping him with you is because he offered to take my shift at the watchtower for a month." I lie through clenched teeth. Zoom growls in frustration. "Well, that's too bad for you. Isn't it? You have just become a lot less valuable." He says while his arm starts to vibrate and an impossible pace. "Goodbye, Grayson." He spats and plunges his arm into my chest.


	9. Anticlimactic Endings

Have you ever thought that the lights went out for a second when in reality you just blinked? That's what it felt like to have a speedster disappear from in front of you. One second, Zoom's hand was rapidly vibrating towards my chest. The next, he was gone. Once upon a time, his sudden disappearance would have left me dizzy and confused but after years working and being best friend with a speedster, I was now immune to such effects. Before I could think much about why Zoom had left, a familiar beeping made me turn my face away. Seconds later, the beeping stopped and what I guess was the door to the shipping containment I was in exploded. Once the smoke cleared, I faced Kid Flash and Robin, the later with one less batarang on his belt.

"Took you long enough." I huffed making both of them roll their eyes.

"So, ungrateful. Maybe we should leave you here after all." Robin replied with a smirk and fake contemplating look. Kid Flash tried to feign thinking about it but his smile kept betraying him.

"Nah, he is not worth the trouble with Wally."

"Fine, you are no fun." Robin surrendered with a pout and suddenly in a 'Flash' I was free from my restrains.

"You are both so hilarious" I glared while rubbing my wrists making them take a bow to which I rolled my eyes to while trying to contain my smirk. "Anyway, we should hurry. Zoom could come back at any second."

"Oh, Wally is taking care of him." Bart answered nonchalantly only to freeze a second after. We shared a look and immediately burst through the hole Robin had made in the container. It was dark outside but that didn't prevent us from seeing the lackeys gathering around us.

"I don't have time for this!" I exclaimed while punching the lights out of the nearest goon.

"Go help Wally, we can take care of this." Robin exclaims from my left. I hesitate, leaving my brother and Wally's younger cousin with a bunch of men with guns does not sound ideal. On the other hand, neither is leaving Wally with a full-grown speedster that manages to be toe to toe with him in a faraway future where he is much stronger and faster.

"Go!" Kid Flash exclaims seeing the war within me. Finally deciding that they are both sufficiently trained to deal with half a dozen goons, I ran after the lightning flashes where Wally and Zoom must be fighting. Once I arrive, I realize there's nothing I can do to help. With both contenders moving at the speed of light, I can't intervene in the fight. I can't see what is happening, who is winning or even identify who is who. All I can see are flashes of red hair, an elbow or a yellow suit here and there. The only constant thing is the droplets of blood accumulating on the floor. Frustrated, I try my best to identify the source but no matter how much I try, my eyes can't keep up with the sudden movements.

My desperate thoughts are cut off by the sudden stop of both speedsters. They stand facing each other, breathing harshly and bleeding. Zoom's nose appears to be broken and from the way he stands I can see that one of his legs is hurt. However, Wally looks so much worse. His entire face is soaked in blood from a nasty long gash on his forehead, he winces while breathing making me guess that at least one of his ribs is broken and his hand is twisted in an abnormal way. The level of his injuries makes me gasp and before I know it I am taking a step towards him. However, before I can take another both speedsters gazes snap towards me. It seems that they have finally notice I have crashed their party. Wally's horrified look is the only warning I get before a thick yellow clad arm is wrapped around my throat. Wally tries to take a step forward but stops when Zoom tuts and tightens his hold even more making me gasp for breath. Wally raises his uninjured hand in surrender, his frantic eyes revealing his desperation but there's also hatred in those eyes and I know he is not giving up so easily. Zoom laughs.

"Many have tried and failed to break you Flash but I will never be one of them. For you see, I know that to truly break you, your enemies don't have to go anywhere near you." He tightens once again his hold as if to demonstrate his point. I claw at his arm without success until finally he loosens his hold enough to let me take a few grateful breaths.

"Zoom, leave that civilian alone. I'll take his place." Wally tries to negotiate in a firm voice trying to hide the fact that we share a connection making Zoom laugh. Little does Wally know that Zoom knows more about us than even we ourselves do.

"Oh please, I know that this simple stupid rich boy means more to you than anyone in this world so cut the act." He replies harshly. Realizing the grave danger I am truly in, Wally's face transforms. No longer is the hatred hidden.

"Release him or I swear that I'll rip your head off." He snarls and I feel Zoom's small hesitation. I don't doubt that he's heard what I myself have, there is no doubt in Wally's words. He would make true to his promise. However, instead of heading his warning, Zoom releases a dark laugh and spats "Don't make me laugh Flash. You don't have the guts." Wally and I share a look while his head is thrown back in laughter and in a blink of an eye I release myself from Zoom's hold and punch him square in the face, before he can retaliate Wally is upon him.

"DON'T EVER THREATEN THOSE AROUND ME." With each word, he delivers a punch or a kick to Zoom who tries unsuccessfully to pry himself away from the furious speedster. Finally, Zoom is unconscious but that doesn't stop Wally who continues to deliver unforgiving blows towards the broken speedster. The hatred in his eyes scares me but pushes me forward.

"Wally" I say laying a stopping hand on his shoulder. "What?" He snarls not taking his eyes away from Zoom. "You need to stop." I say gripping his shoulder even harder.

"Why should I? He was going to kill you?!"

"I know but if you give in, if you kill him now, he will win." Wally finally takes his eyes of the bloody mess that is Zoom and desperate searches mine. "Don't let him take what makes you so special away from you. Please Wally, come back to me." I whisper staring straight into his eyes. Suddenly, Wally releases Zoom and I find myself wrapped around his trembling arms. I grip him tight while a couple of tears escape from both our eyes. We stand there, gripping each other tightly, for a couple of minutes until a young voice reaches our ears.

"Awww man, you defeated him already." Kid Flash laments upon seeing the unconscious Zoom.

"How selfish of us, next time you can get beaten by a pulp." Wally answers with an eye roll.

"Nah, I think we'll pass." Robin replies with a signature smirk.

"What did we do to deserve this couple of ungrateful brats as our successors?" Wally moans dramatically gaining an offended response from both teens.

"I don't know why me, I was a perfect angel, but I can think of a couple of things you have done that may have warrant this type of karma." I reply making both teens laugh and Wally yelp in annoyance. I join the kids in their laugh and find myself in a friendly headlock courtesy of Wally.

"Apologize!" He exclaims jokingly and starts tickling me senseless when I refuse.

"Ok, ok, stop. I am sorry!" I finally give in making Wally puff out his chest in victory.

"You would think that making me surrender to your evil ways is the best thing you have done today." I say with an eye roll.

"It is! Many can proclaim defeating a super villain but less can say that they have defeated a bat kid."

"True!" Bart and Tim speak up. I fake a pout.

"But seriously, thank you." Wally whispers when the teens get distracted.

"Whatever for?" I ask honestly confused.

"For believing in me and helping me. For stopping me from doing something I would have regret. For everything, I guess."

"You never have to thank me, that's what I am here for." I answer making him shyly smile. The smile reminds me how close I became to losing him and how grateful I was that he was back. Suddenly, I gasp as another thought hits me.

"Wally!"

"What?" He exclaims immediately turning towards Zoom unconscious form. I grab him by the shoulders forcing him to face me. His worried eyes meet mine and I can't help but release a smile. "They are safe, our…I mean, **your** kids are safe." I say and the most beautiful smile takes over his face. I know I am staring but I can't help it. I can't take my eyes from his sparkling green ones nor his adorable freckles and least of all his breath-taking smile. I have always known that Wally was attractive but I had never realized how truly beautiful he was. His white perfect skin created the perfect contrast with his unique red hair and numerous freckles. His lips looked soft and full and suddenly I found myself curious as to how they would feel against mine. With that thought, I finally force myself to tear my gaze away from him. My ears feel near explosion from a rising blush, my heart is galloping faster than ever and sweat slowly covers my back and hands.

A rant of 'Oh God, oh God, oh God' is the only thing that my brain seems to be able to conjure up at the moment. I was paralyzed in fear. Suddenly, afraid that anyone noticed my impromptu heart attack, I look around my companions. Wally and Tim have move on to shackle the unconscious Zoom but Bart is silently staring at me. When our eyes connect, a knowing smirk takes over his face. 'Of course, **he** knows. The little shit is from the future.' I give him my bat glare hoping he will understand I will kill him if he says anything but he just smiles and rolls his eyes. Our staring is interrupted by Robin who asks "Well, what are we going to do now?" Wally and I share a look and like always we perfectly understand each other.

"It's time." He says unnecessarily since I have already pushed the right buttons on my communicator.

"Time for what?" I hear Bart ask confused while the communicator beeps.

"It's time to contact The League." Wally answers just as a gruff voice answers my call.


	10. Burning Questions

"So, you are telling me that a presumed dead person stalked you for a couple of days and told you a mysterious tale of an unknown time travelling villain and instead of informing the Justice League or me, you decide to help him by yourself. Therefore, putting not only yourself but also Kid Flash and Robin at risk and all this while on sabbatical."

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds a little reckless." I answer Batman's passive aggressive tone nonchalantly.

We were both alone in a conference room at the Watchtower. Upon arriving at the docks, as soon as Batman saw Wally, he glared at the other three of us and simply asked for an explanation. Not surprisingly, our story seemed a little far-fetched to the World's Best Detective aka the World's Most Skeptic Person. Therefore, upon finishing our story, he handcuffed all of us and ordered us to walk slowly to the nearest boom tube for individual interrogations at the Watch Tower. It's been hours since then.

"Only a little?" Batman answers to my remark with a tone that reveals that one of his eyebrows has risen. "You know how easily it would be for an enemy to appear as someone he's not and infiltrate us. It has happened before." I roll my eyes at the whole Speedy/Red Arrow mutation debacle but Batman continues without noticing or simply caring. "You also know how bias you are in this situation."

"I am NOT." I reply affronted.

"Dick." I freeze at my name and the caring tone in which he has said it. I prefer the mechanical one. "For the past months, there's nothing you have wanted more than for Wally to come back. I understand that it's hard, trust me, I do. I don't think I would be able to be unbiased if Jason suddenly returned. But case of the matter is that we have to. We can't let our desires cloud our judgment." I stiffen at the name of Jason. Even though we had managed to recover some of the closeness we had before Jason died and Bruce accused me of being responsible, Jason would always be a rough spot for us.

"I know that. That is why I took all the secure measures I could." I say in a businesslike tone knowing that's the best way to make him listen. "The reason I didn't informed the League was because I concluded that there wasn't enough information about the threat to ensure the safety of the Flash Family. As soon as their safety was guaranteed I was going to notify you...things just got out of hand." Bruce snorts at my last statement and finally sights and relaxes.

"Do you really think is him?" He asks and I am not surprised to hear the hope and longing in his voice. After all, Wally has been around long enough to be part of the family,

"I know is him." I assure without a trace of doubt.

"Well, then, let's see what Martian Manhunter has found." He stands and leads me outside towards a room I know too well...the maximum secure interrogation room.

"Seriously?"

"What? We can't risk him not being Wally. We can't just take your word for it." I roll my eyes and enter the adjoining room. Through the one way looking glass, I can see Wally and the Martian. Wally's foot and hands are tapping the floor and table respectively showing his exasperation. He rolls his eyes upon the next question asked but the nevertheless answers. Beside me, Bruce chuckles.

"I can see why you were so easily convinced." He answers to my questioning gaze. In the other room, Wally seems more and more distressed. Outside, I start feeling the same.

"Come on, J'onn says we can enter." Without a second thought, I enter the room. Wally stops fidgeting upon my abrupt entrance and a breathtaking smile takes over his face.

"Wing! Bats! Can you please get me out of here?" He pouts. "Martian Manhunter says we only need your approval Bats..Pleaaaaseeeee" He begs, I stifle a laugh and I know for a fact that Bruce is rolling his eyes fondly.

"What did you find?" Batman asks J'onn robotically but I notice he is trying to fight off a smirk. Wally huffs and crosses his arms like a little kid. I giggle. He proceeds to glare at me.

"Upon reading his mind and asking some questions, I have concluded that he is truly Wallace West."

"Yayyyy, can I go now?" Wally pouts again.

"No" Batman answers making both, Wally and I, gasp.

"Why?" We both ask incredulous.

"Wallace, you are required to go to the infirmary to get a full check-up. We have to confirm that the speedforce or this battle have not affected you in any way." Wally groans and directs a puppy dog look at me but I find myself agreeing with Bruce. I am not taking any chances of losing him again.

"Fine." He sighs defeated and mutters "Paranoid overprotective bats." as we walk towards what he calls his next 'prison'.

Barry and Iris were the first to arrive. The Scarlet speedster and his wife zoomed over as soon as Batman informed them their presence was needed at the Watch Tower. Upon hearing that their son in anything but blood was back, they both ran without hesitation to the infirmary. "Wally!" The both cried upon seeing him and Wally soon found himself sandwiched between both of them. Tears were escaping from the trios eyes but that didn't managed to stop their relieved laughs.

Figuring they needed time alone, I quietly stepped out of the room only to come face to face with an enraged Roy Harper (clone). "Is it true?" He asked. "Who told you?" I responded confirming that yes, Wally was back. "Oliver...I am going to kill him." "Why are you going to kill Ollie?" "What? Not Ollie! Wally! I am going to kill that idiot. What the hell made him think he could sacrifice himself and then come back as if nothing had happened? Oh no, he will beg for forgiveness." With that amusing threat, the archer entered the room. I continue my walk and as I enter Bats private room, all traces of mirth leave me. Sighting, I reach for my phone.

"Hello? Is this WORKING?" Miss M yells and a grin escapes me even through the dread I feel.

"Hi. It's me."

"Dick! Is it really you? Are you ok? What's wrong? Where are you?"

"Nothing's wrong. I am fine." I interrupt her panicked rant.

"Oh...then why are you calling?" I wince at the unsaid thought 'You haven't made a social call in forever.'

"I need you guys to come to the Watchtower."

"Ok. Who do I bring with me?" She asks strongly, figuring I am calling for business.

"Just Kaldur, Conner and ... Artemis." I have to force myself to say the last name. The dread I've been feeling threatens to consume me. The secret I kept during my interrogation, the secret I have yet to tell Wally and the sudden realization of Wally's breathtaking eyes makes the imminent reunion between Wally and Artemis heartbreaking. Yet, another thing I had screwed up by yelling those hateful words and driving Wally towards her.

"Artemis? You know she's gone under." Miss M replies to my request.

" I know. But, I also know you two have been secretly in contact."

"I...oh fine, I hate that you know everything." She sighs resign and I force a chuckle.

"No you don't." I reply because is expected.

"No I don't" She says softly. An uncomfortable silence fills the conversation. "Dick, are you sure everything is ok?" She asks sensing my distress.

"Yes. Everything is great. I promise." I lie "I'll see you soon." I end the conversation and proceed to break down.


	11. One out of Two ain't so bad

Barry and Iris were still in the med bay with Wally when I finally put myself together enough to make my way over. Tear streaks were evident on the trios' faces but the wide smiles and bright eyes made a good job at hiding them. Wally was the first to notice me fidgeting by the door. The sudden wide smile that took over his face not only left me breathless but also made my presence known to the two others present. The change was immediate. Barry and Iris went still as soon as they saw me but Wally didn't seem to notice.

"Are you going to stand there all day? Come on, idiot." He laughed while moving over in the bed to leave me room at his side. Trying to ignore the tension in the room, I silently made my way over and sat at the very edge of the bed. Oblivious, Wally snorted and pulled me by the waist until I sat fully fledged to his body.

"I won't bite you." He snorted once he finally deemed I was comfortable enough, arm still around my waist. I was still tense to which Wally rolled his eyes but decided to ignore it. He looked back up at his aunt and uncle who were looking at our interaction with confusion and worry written all over their faces.

"So, what did Bart do when he saw his father as a baby?" Wally continued their previous conversation making Barry blink out of his stupor. The older speedster opened and closed his mouth a couple of times but uttered no words. Iris' eyes were still on me.

Wally tensed beside me. It seemed that he had finally noticed the tension surrounding us. He looked between his aunt, uncle and me confused. It was the most quiet it have ever been in a room with a speedster present, let along two.

"I think I'll go." I blurted out after five minutes of painful silence.

"What?! No! Why?" Wally asked holding on tightly to my waist.

"It's ok Walls, I'll come back later." I promised but the speedster only held on tighter. "Seriously Wally, I am sure your family would like to have a moment alone with you."

"You **are** family, Dick." Wally whispered making me abandon my weak attempts at escaping his strong embrace. My eyes finally connected with his and I could see he meant it. 'Oh Wally, if you only knew' I thought but nevertheless his puppy dog eyes were enough for me to settle once more besides him. Silence and tension be dammed!

Barry and Iris had remained silent during the exchange between Wally and I but their confusion and worry had only seem to increase. I decided to slump against the bed in an effort to hide as best as I could from their line of sight. Wally noticed.

"Aunt I. Uncle B." Both adults snapped out of their thoughts to lock eyes with their nephew. "I know that it may seem weird to you seeing Dick and I like this again considering how we left things but I also think you know it was inevitable. I believe sooner or later Dick and I would have fixed our differences." My head snaps up at this. 'Really?' At the time I would have bet on Batman's becoming the Joker's best friend sooner than Wally forgiving me. "We love each other too much to have left things the way they were." My heart clenches at the word. Specially since I know he doesn't mean it the way I do. "Also, we all know that Dick didn't meant to hurt me. He was just hurt himself." He finished in a whisper and sort of begging tone. What he was begging for I ignored but it seemed that he got it because soon a wide smile took over his face. Encouraged, I dared to look at Barry and Iris. To my horror, both of them had tears in their eyes.

"Oh God, no! Don't cry. I'll leave!" I yell in panic while finally wrenching myself away from Wally and stumbling up but before I could take a step towards the exit, I was enveloped in a couple of strong arms. It takes me a minute to realize it's actually Barry and not Wally who is currently hugging me. Hesitantly, I wrap my own arms around him. My actions fuel Barry on and he holds me even tighter. Iris saves me from oxygen deprivation.

"You are crushing the boy, dear." She says and Barry reluctantly lets go.

"I don't understand." I say confused after receiving a hug from Iris as well.

"What don't you understand sweetie?" She asks and her voice is so motherly that I have to use all of my strength to avoid crying.

"Why?" Is the only word I manage to say but the seem to understand me.

"We have missed you kid." Barry answers simply and this time it's me who wraps them both in a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you guys too. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't mean too. I am so sorry." They held me while I sobbed and through my confusing babble.

"It's ok sweetie" "All is forgiven" "We love you" Their comforting words managed to bring out even more tears.

Finally, I managed to contain myself enough to let go of them.

"Sorry." I say once again and somehow they understand I am not talking about the scene they just witnessed.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, sweetie."

"Let the past be the past kid"

They say and by some miracle I manage not to break down again.

"So...I don't know about you guys, but I think that the guy that disappeared for almost a year deserves more hugs and kisses than this idiot." Wally breaks the silence making us smile.

"Meh, we missed Dick more." Barry teased to which Wally gasped dramatically.

"I am your nephew!" He exclaimed clutching his chest.

"But he is so much well mannered." Iris joined in the teasing making Wally pout.

"Fine, I see how it is. And they say blood is thicker than water." We manage to stay quiet for three seconds before we all burst out laughing.

The laughs are interrupted by the arrival of Batman.

"Hey Bats!"

"Wally. I see that you are feeling better."

"Everything is great! So...can I go now?" The redhead begged. Batman's glare was answer enough. "Fine." He pouted making me giggle. Wally took revenge by tickling me.

"Dick." Batman interrupted our tickle war.

"Yes, Bats?" I asked half listening half watching out for Wally's quick slender fingers.

"The Team's here."

"Oh." The room once again felt cold but this time I was the only inhabitant aware.

"Ok. I'll explain everything and bring them here. Is that ok?" I asked Wally who nods half heartily. Surprisingly, he also looks slightly worried.

"Hey, everything is going to be ok." I assure with a hand squeeze even thought my heart is beating fast enough to beat a speedsters'.

"Sure. I know. Well, what are you waiting for? Go get them. We can't keep them away from this master piece much longer." He says with a fake confident smirk while indicating to himself. I pretend to believe him and with an eye roll exit the room.

The fall of a pin could've been heard in the silence that followed my confession. Understandably, confusion and denial prevailed in the faces of my old team mates. Miss M's eyes begged for me to explain how could this be possible but I found myself terrified of disturbing the silence I was sure soon would be lost to make way to the storm. Superboy and Kaldur's expressions were easier to look at. Besides their confusion, they seemed unmoved by my words even though we all knew they were not whelmed at all. I forced myself to look at Artemis' eyes. Predictably, the confusion and denial that had overcome them at first soon turn to a new emotion...rage.

"Explain." She ordered quietly but it had the same effect as if she had bellowed the single word. The others didn't dare to move or make a noise. Evidently, they didn't want to come between Artemis' and the source of her anger, me.

"Wally is alive." I repeated not knowing what else to say. It seemed that words had failed me. Sadly, this only managed to anger her even more.

"How?! How is he alive? Where has he been? How did you find out? When did you found out?" She spat furiously with clenched fists and stepping closer with each question until we stood face to face.

"Why does it matter? The important thing is that he is back!" I spat back losing my cool. The others flinched, probably guessing correctly my answer would not be welcomed by the young archer.

"Why does it matter?! It matters because for the last months I have been mourning the death of my boyfriend who apparently is now miraculously back. It matters because he for the last months I've been blaming myself for him having to risk his life to save the world in the first place. It matters because I've been living with a black hole inside of me that has slowly being sucking the life out of me. And now you are telling me that he is back! Just like that! It matters. So answer the damn questions?!"

Not for the first time, I feel the weight of my actions heavy on my shoulders. This was my fault. It was my fault Wally left the team. It is my fault Artemis returned to the team. It is my fault Wally sacrificed himself. It is my fault my friends had to experience the loss of a teammate, friend, brother and lover. It is my fault Artemis quit her dreams to return once more to a life full of darkness, deceit and hopelessness. Ad what did I do to atone for my sins? I quit the team and left them alone to deal with the consequences of my actions. I turned my back on my family because it was too hard to be around them knowing we were not complete. And by doing so, I robbed them of another piece of what was the puzzle of our mismatch family. I was selfish. I didn't thought about how Wally's death would affect them. I only thought about myself and my pain and my guilt and now I was paying the price.

"I am sorry. You are right." I interrupted Artemis' ramble creating silence once more.

"Wally is alive. He was never dead in the first place. He just disappeared into something speedster's call the speedforce that's apparently their source of power. He was able to come back when an evil speedster from the future, Hunter Zolomon, tried to kill him. Upon touching him, both Wally and Zolomon broke free of the speed force. Realizing he was on Earth once more, Wally immediately ran away before Zolomon could kill him. He ran to Bludhaven to find me. I helped him find Zolomon and after shamefully being kidnapped by said evil speedster, Wally rescued me and defeated him in the process. Afterwards, we called Batman who proceeded to interrogate us and verify the legitimacy of Wally's identity. Zoom has been placed in a secure proof cell with a recently wiped memory, courtesy of Martian Manhunter and Wally is in the infirmary with his aunt and Flash." Miss M, Kaldur and Conner didn't wait to bombard me with questions about Wally's well being, our encounter with Zoom and the events of the past week once they realized I had finished. However, before I could answer any of them, Artemis killed the chatter by asking, "Why did he come to you?" The question was spoken with a little anger but mostly confusion.

"I don't know." I answered honestly because no matter how many times Wally tried to reassure me I would never understand why he had decided he could trust me once more.

"Why didn't you asked us for help?" She asked then. The others inquisitive gaze also flew to me.

"We didn't knew anything about Zoom or what he knew. We couldn't risk him finding out where Wally was..." I tried to justify. It sounded weak even to my own ears.

"You think we would have done anything that would have put Wally in danger?!"

"Of course not but.."

"But nothing! I am his girlfriend! We are his friends; his family! We deserved to know he was alive and in danger. We could have helped him."

"I know that Artemis but this wasn't about deserving. This was about Wally and what was best to keep him save. We couldn't risk..." I exclaimed getting angry at my inability to explain Wally's and I decision to her. Why couldn't she just accept that Wally was ok and ask questions later? Why was she so furious at being sidelined. If it was me that just found out Wally was alive I would have not wasted a single second to be by his side. But it wasn't fair to compare my would be actions to her.

"And why could **you** be there for him? What makes **you** so much better than us? Do you think you love Wally more than any of us do? Because last I remember, he couldn't even stand the mention of your name." She spat angrily stomping away towards the infirmary and ignoring Miss M's gasp and Kaldur's reprimanding 'Artemis'.

"She is just hurt ad confused. She didn't mean that." Miss M tried to comfort me. It didn't work.

"Miss Martian is right. Soon she'll be able to understand you were only looking out for ours and Wally's safety." Kaldur joined in.

"I know." I lied with a false half smile and proceeded to usher them towards the med bay,

"You are not coming?" Conner asked just before leaving the room with an inquisitive confused look.

"Nah, I already had my time with him. Besides, I need to contact Roy." We both knew I was lying. I could spend every second of the rest of my life with Wally and it would not be enough. Thankfully, Conner just nodded and left me alone to drown in my self-pity.

"Are you ok?" I startle at Tim's voice and turn to see him stepping out of the shadows.

"I am fine." I answer as he collapses besides me on the couch.

"She's wrong you know."

"No she is not." Tim doesn't bother trying to convince me otherwise. Instead he sits beside me in silent support. He knows too well that by giving me space, I'll eventually speak up. He knows me too well.

"I know you've heard the whispers about my friendship with Wally and rumors about its abrupt end. However, nobody really knows the truth except for those that lived it and even they don't know all. Wally and I, we were not just best friends...we were a part of each other. We met at a very young age and our bond as two of the firs sidekicks only grew stronger as we shared our secrets, fears, dreams and eventually pasts with each other. I was the first person he confided in and in exchange I eventually bared my soul to him. There were no secrets between us and we both took comfort in having each other to rely on in the lie that was our life and I...I betrayed that bond by using his fears he had shared with me to hurt him. Everything changed after that. I've achieved and gained so many things in the last few years. I became the Team's leader, I became a police officer at Bludhaven and I even got a new baby brother but I lost so much too. By my own actions, I lost my team and friends. I lost the will to honor my parents by protecting the world. I lost my best friend and other half, the person I wanted to share everything with. So, yes, Tim. I deserve everything and more of what Artemis said. Especially since through all my failures and loss I've only been thinking about myself. I failed to think about how much my decisions have caused suffering and loss not only to Wally and I but also Conner whose first link of friendship and trust came through Wally; Kaldur who I led towards a father he could never really have; Miss M whose innocence and blind faith was lost when I took away her family one by one; Artemis who experienced happiness and joy for the first time only to discover it was all a lie and you guys, the team, who I robbed the chance of having one of the most loyal friends I've ever met. So yes, she is right. I've dug my own grave and now it's time for me to lie on it." Tim had remained silent through my whole confession. His face never betraying any emotion. He didn't interrupt me, knowing that I needed to blurt out my thoughts and feelings as some sinner confessing to a priest nor did he tried to comfort me knowing that I would not welcome it. Instead, he took the best course of action when dealing with a defeated stubborn bat family member...logic.

"Dick, why did Wally came for **you** for help?" He asked so calmly that I didn't hesitate to answer.

"He didn't know who else to go to and he didn't want to put his family in danger." I answered automatically responding as a well trained soldier to his batman like tone.

"Why not go to Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian or Artemis then? Why not go to the Justice League? They would have been able to protect Iris and the twins. Why come to **you**? Especially considering how things had ended between the two of you."

"I don't know. He trusted me to help him, I guess."

"He also trusts the rest of the team. He was even dating Artemis."

"He...I don't know, maybe he didn't want them involved in something so dangerous."

"Would he prefer to put **you** in that kind of danger before Batman, Green Lantern or any other League member?"

"I don't think so..."

"Then why did he picked you?" He asks once more, still calm.

"I don't know Tim!"

"Yes, you do Dick."

"I don't!"

"You do. Come on Dick. Why would he come to you? Why would he ask help from someone who broke his trust? Why would he want your help? Why would he come to you? Why would your face be the first one he would want to see?" Tim pressured and suddenly Dick knew why. As sudden and unpredictable as a speedster the answer came to him.

'I tried to tell Uncle B to tell you, to tell you that I forgave you because I knew you would never forgive yourself if I didn't but I was too late.' Wally had said. 'I believe sooner or later Dick and I would have fixed our differences." We love each other too much to have left things the way they were.' He had told his aunt and uncle.

"He came to me because he forgives me and he is my best friend and he loves me. He came to me because he missed me." I came embarrassingly close to bursting into tears once more because Wally really missed me and he is really back.

Suddenly it didn't matter what the future hold. It didn't matter if our lived took a different path from Zoom's future. I didn't matter if Wally became a hero again, staid retired, married Artemis or even had the sudden urge to become a ballet dancer. It didn't matter because I knew that through it all I would be there for him and he would be there for me. We would always be there for each other because no mistake was terrible enough to keep us from loving one another.

"Thank you." I smiled hugely at Tim while he tried to escape from my bone crushing hug and complained about me being a hug monster. The laugh that broke out of my throat made him smile fondly though.

"I am going to go to the med-bay now."

"Great. I'll call Roy for you then. Oh and Dick? He called out just before I stepped out.

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about the future too much. Destiny always tends to come through swinging," He said with a wink and with that last words the second best detective in the world left through the Z tube leaving my gaping self behind.


End file.
